If They Only Knew
by Wolfsong98
Summary: How hard is it to walk in someone else's shoes? Two men in Miami are about to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Title: If They Only Knew 1/?

Author: Wolfsong98

Rating: FRT

Warning: N/A

Summary: How hard is it to walk in someone else's shoes? Two men in Miami are about to find out.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters, nor am I making any money from this. I'm simply borrowing the characters and I promise to return them when I am done.

Author's Note: I'd like to give special thanks to Refreshingbeverage/Occipitallobe for being my beta for this monstrous story. All other mistakes are mine.

Horatio dropped his pen onto his desk before dragging his hand down his face. He had been staring at the same file for the last ten minutes and succeeded in nothing more than having the words blur together.

He didn't realize that he was rubbing at his wrists as he remembered his encounter with Sergeant Stetler.

_Horatio glanced back at Eric before he followed the other man out of the crime scene. He swallowed deeply in an attempt to keep himself from vomiting. The redhead knew that he had made enemies and should have warned Rachel. If he had, she might still be alive. Resden was an intelligent man who knew Horatio's weakness. Walter Resden was framing him and he had to put his trust in his team; right now they were his only hope. Additionally, there was the fact that Stetler had a personal vendetta against him. Once they were outside, Horatio had to quickly sidestep in order to keep from running into the Sergeant's back having been lost in his thoughts._

_Before he could ask the other man why he had stopped, Stetler had whirled around and was holding a pair of handcuffs._

_Horatio's eyes narrowed. "No."_

"_You know it has to be done."_

_Horatio knew that Stetler had a point but he wasn't about to give in just yet. "At least wait until we get to the car. I'm not going to run."_

"_No can do, Horatio. You know protocol doesn't work that way." Rick Stetler said as he stepped forward and closed the handcuffs around Horatio's wrists. The action earned himself a glare from the redheaded lieutenant._

A soft knock on his office door, tore Horatio from his thoughts. Looking up he saw his ballistics expert standing in the doorway. He gave her a small smile. "Calleigh, come on in. What can I do for you?"

"Alexx sent me."

"Why?"

"We're all getting ready to go out for dinner. She felt that we all needed it after today, especially you. Alexx told me, and I quote, 'Tell Horatio he is coming with us even if you have to handcuff him and drag him out of his office.'"

Horatio chuckled softly, closing the folder that was in front of him. "It beats trying to do this paperwork."

Calleigh frowned as she stared at the ever growing amount of files that had accumulated on her boss' desk. "When is the next batch due?"

"Monday morning at eight."

"Then, you can take it home with you tomorrow night and work on it over the weekend." She said with a smile. "You should have plenty of time to get it completed before it's considered late. Now," Calleigh began holding out her handcuffs, her eyes twinkling in mischief, "am I going to have to do what Alexx ordered me to?"

"No need," Horatio quickly replied before she had a chance to approach him.

"Well get a move on, then. Alexx wanted me to have you down in the parking garage in," the blonde paused as she glanced down at her watch, "in five minutes."

"Just let me shut down the computer and I'll be ready."

Calleigh nodded her head but made no move to go anywhere.

Standing up, the redhead pulled on his suit coat. "Are we going to the Good Times Bar & Grill?"

"No, Alexx suggested we try that Chinese restaurant on Biscayne Boulevard that had its grand reopening last week."

"Reopening?"

"You know that arson case we had six months ago?"

Horatio closed his eyes for a moment as he thought back. "The China Surprise?"

Calleigh nodded. "Yeah, that's the one. Anyways, 'Mom' said that she's heard nothing but good reviews since they reopened and thought that tonight would be a perfect opportunity to see for ourselves."

Calleigh led the way down to the parking garage where the rest of the team was waiting. As Horatio neared, he heard Eric and Ryan arguing about a bounced check. However, the two of them quickly stopped once they noticed him.

"Good, you're here." Alexx replied with a smile at their arrival.

"Yeah, didn't need nor want to be handcuffed for a second time in one day."

"I know."

"So now that everyone is here, are we ready to go?"

"Almost," Alexx answered as she patted Eric gently on the shoulder.

"Are we going to carpool or have everyone meet up there?"

"I suggest meeting there," Horatio replied, looking over at Calleigh.

"That sounds good to me as well." Ryan agreed quickly.

Eric looked over at the brunette and shot back, "Yeah, you just don't want to ride in anyone else's car or have them messing up your own."

"Enough, the two of you are starting to give me a headache." Calleigh said, glaring at the two men.

"Okay," Alexx said, stepping between the two men before either of them could say another word. "That's settled. Does everyone remember how to get there?"

After they all assured her that they knew where to go, the team parted ways heading towards their respective cars. Horatio climbed into his personal vehicle, a black Hummer, and watched as the others left.

Once he was alone again, his mind drifted back to the day's events. Horatio sighed. Hell, if the situation had been reversed he probably would have arrested Rick. But, Horatio thought to himself, he wouldn't have taken near as much amusement out of it. The redhead was certain that Stetler had been smirking gloating to himself the entire drive back to the precinct while Horatio was handcuffed in the backseat.

xXxXx

Rick sighed as he signed off on the last of the day's paperwork before clearing his desk and locking the files away. He knew what everyone thought of him. He would bet money that Horatio's team and the majority of the Miami Dade Police Department thought that he was upset because he had failed yet again to take Horatio Caine down. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, and if asked he'd deny it, but Rick was actually glad that Horatio wasn't responsible for Rachel Turner's death.

There were times he wasn't sure how he felt about the Lieutenant. However, there was a comfortable safety in their ongoing rivalry and, as much as hated to admit it, he had grown used to being on Horatio's bad side.

His stomach growled loudly as he grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and walked out the door. Rick froze as he tentatively looked into his outer office before sighing in relief. Rose, his secretary, had already left for the night and for that he was grateful. The last thing the brunette needed was for the older woman to carry out her threat of packing him a lunch. Rick knew that she would make him sit down in front of her to eat it if he didn't stop forgetting to bring himself something to eat.

After locking up, Rick left for the day. He liked taking the stairwell instead of the elevator because there was less of a chance of running into anyone that held a grudge against him simply because of the area where he worked. The exercise that taking the stairwell provided was an added bonus.

As the brunette made his way down to the parking garage he was thinking about what he wanted to do for supper. He smiled when he remembered that he passed by the China Surprise on his daily commute.

"That's settled." He told himself with a grin. He had actually eaten there once before. Not only had that been on opening night, but it had been Rose's birthday and the dinner had been his present to her.

xXxXx


	2. Chapter 2

Title: If They Only Knew 2/?

Author: Wolfsong98

Rating: FRT

Warning: N/A

Summary: How hard is it to walk in someone else's shoes? Two men in Miami are about to find out.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters, nor am I making any money from this. I'm simply borrowing the characters and I promise to return them when I am done.

Author's Note: I'd like to give special thanks to Refreshingbeverage/Occipitallobe for being my beta. All other mistakes are mine.

xXxXx

Rick pulled his car into the parking lot and was smiling at his luck. He had actually found a decent parking spot relatively quickly. The brunette smirked when he heard a horn blare at him from a truck, whose driver also wanted that parking space. Rick killed the engine and got out. What he didn't notice was the Hummer that was parked one row behind him and about three spaces down.

"Table for two?" The waitress asked, as Rick walked through the door.

"Not today," he answered, shaking his head as he looked at her name tag. "It's just one this time, Ms. Nahia."

She smiled, picking up a menu and started to lead him to a table in the back. Rick had only taken a couple of steps when he spotted the familiar flash of red hair. He groaned inwardly as he saw not only Horatio, but his entire team. Maybe, if he was lucky, they wouldn't notice him. He tried to continue on as if nothing was amiss.

Rick had barely taken a step when he heard Delko say his name and stopped, thinking that he had been spotted. "Stetler is probably wishing that there was a boulder large enough for him to crawl under. He never should have arrested you, Horatio. We all know that he's out to get you any way he can." The Latino smirked. "Of course we know that will never happen because everytime it always comes back to bite him in the ass. He's a failure, plain and simple."

Rick closed his eyes, trying to push back the painful memories that were brought to the forefront by not only the comment but also the laughter he heard in response. The brunette growled as he fought the urge to storm over there and tell Delko just how wrong he was. He knew that if he did that, then it would only serve as evidence confirming that he was as big an ass everyone thought he was.

The waitress stopped when she realized that he was no longer following her. The older woman turned around in time to hear the laughter coming from the table they had just passed. Nahia frowned as her eyes landed on Rick's face where she saw the emotions as they warred for dominance before he quickly masked them and wore a neutral expression.

Rick took a deep breath before slowly letting it out as he muttered to himself. "Horatio, if you only knew what I go through on a daily basis. You wouldn't be so quick to laugh then. I wish you could experience the hell that I go through firsthand." Rick gave his head a shake as he hurried to catch up to his waitress. He was glad to see that she had stopped and was waiting for him.

The redhead saw the movement and lifted his head. He quirked an eyebrow when he saw Rick walk off in a hurry. Horatio sighed before looking at his team before he voiced his thoughts. "You have to admit that he was just doing his job, though." Ignoring the raised eyebrows, he continued. "Can any of you honestly say that you would have done things any differently if you were in his position?"

Alexx raised her head. She didn't know the Sergeant but she always heard about what he was up to from the team. However, she did find herself nodding along in agreement at Horatio's statement.

Calleigh frowned as she closed her eyes as she tried to see what she would have done in those instances. Ryan just looked down at the table, as he adjusted his silverware so that they were all evenly spaced.

Eric had his mouth open as if he had been about to say something but then he closed it. He had to admit one thing. He wouldn't want to have Horatio's job. His boss had enough things to worry about without the additional aggravation of Internal Affairs lurking around just waiting for a potential screw up. A stray thought crossed his mind causing the young man to chuckle which earned him a raised eyebrow from Horatio.

"What is it, Eric?"

"Nothing, H."

"Somehow, I'm not convinced."

"Oh come on and share," The blonde said nudging him with her elbow.

"I agree with Calleigh on this one. Delko, spill." Ryan butted in, earning himself a glare.

Eric groaned. "Fine, you guys win. I was just thinking that Stetler ought to try doing H's job for a day with IAB hounding him just to see how he likes it."

"Oh God." Horatio chuckled, before ducking and shaking his head. His first reaction was what a huge nightmare that situation could turn out to be. However, Eric's words kept echoing in his head and the more he thought about it, the more it spiked his curiosity. "I hate to admit it, but I'd be curious to not only see how he would handle it, but also to see what he would do."

She then made her way back to the table where Horatio and his team were and she jotted down what they wanted. "You three may help yourselves." Nahia told Horatio, Alexx, and Ryan. She quickly collected the menus and disappeared into the kitchen with Eric and Calleigh's orders.

Horatio stood up and walked over to the buffet table where he grabbed a plate. He had seen Stetler approaching out of the corner of his eye. H waited a couple of seconds to see if the other man was going to speak. When he didn't, the redhead stated his name in that tone of voice that Rick classified as somewhere between a whisper and a growl. "Rick."

_Damn it_, Rick thought to himself. He hadn't said anything in the simple hope that the redhead would just ignore him as well, but evidentially that wasn't the case.

Sighing, the brunette turned to face Horatio. "What is it?"

The redhead didn't say anything. Instead he gave him that sideways look that never failed to irritate Rick.

"I was just doing my job." Stetler stated, struggling to keep the growl out of his voice.

"You are, Rick," Horatio replied with a nod of his head, "and loving every minute of it."

"Believe me, I wasn't thrilled."

"That's not what it looked like."

_Good_, Rick thought to himself. There was no need for the other man to know what he had been thinking.

"You know what?" He spat out at the other man, before he frowned. Rick realized that he really didn't want to go there, especially now.

"What are you talking about, Rick?"

"Never mind. It's not that important."

"Tell me what you were about to say, Rick." Horatio ordered sternly.

"Fine, _Lieutenant_." he snarled, giving Horatio a pointed glare. "I just wish that you could hear just a fraction of the crap that I not only listen to but have to deal with every goddamn day. That will never happen because you are the Great Lieutenant Caine that can do no wrong. Everyone just loves you and your team would do anything for their _H_." It was hard to miss the irritation and distaste for the nickname with the way Stetler said it.

With that, Rick shoved whatever food was closest to him onto his plate before he stormed off back to his table leaving Horatio standing there as Nahia looked on from the doorway of the kitchen. She gave a small smile before disappearing into the back of the restaurant. If anyone needed _her_ cookies, those men did.

"You'd be surprised about that." Horatio said to Rick's back as Eric's words replayed in his mind. "I just wish that you could understand that I don't have it made like you might think." Horatio finished filling up his plate and returned to his seat.

"What happened, H?"

"Yeah, what did you say to make him storm off like that?"

Horatio gave them that sly smile of his. "That conversation is between me and Sergeant Stetler."

"That's not fair."

"Yes, Eric, it is."

Before anyone could say another word, Nahia appeared with the remaining team member's orders as Alexx and Ryan excused themselves to the buffet.

After serving her customers, the waitress checked on Rick to make sure that he had everything he needed. Nahia quickly ducked back into the kitchen where she checked on her cookies.

Once the cookies were done, she put them on a special china platter and approached Rick. She was glad that she had approached him first because it looked as if the younger man had finished and was getting ready to go and pay his tab.

"Excuse me, Sir. I have a fortune cookie that I specially made for you. Please take it. Who knows, it might just change your future."

Rick, who wasn't used to people being nice to him, looked up. "Thanks," he replied before taking one of the cookies from her and putting it on his plate. When Rick glanced up, he saw the waitress walking off.

Upon leaving Rick's table, Nahia approached the table where the redhead and his friends were. She moved as gracefully as she could before coming to a stop in front of Horatio. The waitress curtseyed as a means to ensure that she had his attention, even though she already had it. The redhead had been watching her from the moment she left Rick's table.

"I have a special fortune cookie for you. Please take it." Horatio arched an eyebrow but took the remaining cookie without a fuss.

"Come on, Horatio," Calleigh said, letting her accent go unchecked. "Don't ya keep us in suspense. Tell us what the fortune says."

"After all, you didn't tell us what you said to make Rick storm off."

"Wolfe's right. Let's hear it."

"Someone call the news station. Eric actually agreed with Ryan on something."

Alexx gave her head a small shake. "I'm curious as well."

Horatio chuckled. "Okay, okay. I'll read it out loud." He replied. The redhead snapped the fortune cookie in half and pulled out the strip of paper only to stare at it in confusion before he flipped it over. "It's blank."

"Nice try, Horatio. You have it upside down. Don't think you're going to get out of reading it to us that easy. I can see the writing from here." Calleigh shot back with a grin.

The redhead frowned as he turned the paper over. Sure enough, there was writing on it that had not been there a few seconds earlier.

_Sometimes the object of the journey is not the end, but the journey itself._

Horatio raised an eyebrow at that as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket and slipped it between his driver's license and his insurance card.

xXxXx

Rick sat at his table, staring at the fortune cookie. He was debating on taking it home with him or opening it up right then and there. Eventually his curiosity got the best of him, and Rick tore into the cookie. He extracted the slip of paper from the barely recognizable remains and stared at it. Frowning, he flipped it over to see if he was looking at the wrong side. His eyes narrowed in confusion as he recognized that both sides of the slip were blank.

Closing his eyes, Rick took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "This has to be some kind of joke." He mumbled under his breath before opening his eyes again. "What the heck?"

He gave his head a small shake, before turning his attention back to the small strip of paper. He began to read the fortune aloud.

_The smart thing is to prepare for the unexpected._

Rick rolled his eyes. "Story of my life, people." He did, however, tuck the fortune in between his debit card and his license.

Rick stood up to go pay his tab when he noticed Horatio and his team at the register. He rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath about how some people could ruin a nice meal. The brunette walked up and stood behind them as he waited in line. They ignored him and he did the same. When it was his turn, Rick approached the counter where he quickly paid his bill and left.

xXxXx


	3. Chapter 3

xXxXx

The closer Horatio got to his house, the more tired he became. After pulling the Hummer into his driveway, he killed the engine and got out, locking the door behind him. The redhead was met by his snarling black cat demanding to be fed. When Horatio kicked off his shoes instead of immediately going into the dining room, the feline snarled as he melted into the shadows. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he was greeted with a paw swipe with claws unsheathed to the ankle. Horatio sighed, shaking his head, as he grabbed a can of cat food and dumped it into the food bowl.

Horatio slowly made his way upstairs, where he secured his weapon. Pausing outside of the bathroom, he leaned against the wall and yawned before giving his head a shake in an attempt to wake up. Fighting the urge to just crawl into bed and close his eyes, Horatio stripped out of his clothes and stepped into the shower. He simply stood there a few moments, allowing the warm water to relax his tense muscles. It was only after the hot water had started to turn cold that he quickly washed before stumbling out of the tub.

Horatio's eyes felt like lead as he returned to his bedroom. He couldn't figure out why he was so tired, and he finally just decided that it was because of everything that had gone on earlier. Not only did he have to deal with Stetler again. There was also the stress of learning that another person he cared about had been murdered because of him. The redhead sighed as he reached up to turn the fan on and, after pulling the switch that turned the light off, Horatio pulled back his covers and slipped into bed. By the time his head hit the pillow, he was sound asleep.

xXxXx

After leaving the restaurant, Rick carefully folded himself into his little electric blue Ford Focus and began the long drive home. The only downside to living out in the middle of nowhere was the traveling time it took to reach civilization.

In hopes of distracting himself from replaying what had happened at the restaurant, Rick punched the radio button. He could still hear Delko's voice saying that he was a failure; it was joined in by another from his past saying that he'd never amount to anything. Another chimed in, echoing the first, before adding that he didn't care for anyone but himself.

"That's not true," he growled, hitting the steering wheel, as he reached over to turn the volume up on the radio.

"_Well the next thing I recall she had him back against the wall chewin' him like a bulldog on a bone."_

Sure enough, the music did the trick. It helped to divert his attention and before he knew it, Rick was home.

Once inside, he went straight to his aquarium and checked on his fish. After feeding them, Rick yawned as he headed upstairs going about his nightly routine. He took a quick shower and, after laying out his clothes for the next day, pulled a magazine out of the magazine rack beside the bed before flopping down on his mattress. Giving his head a shake, Rick tried to wake himself up as he pulled a couple magazines out of the magazine rack he kept by his bed before putting all but one back as he flipped through the Fine Cooking issue.

_I must have eaten too much,_ he thought to himself as he tried to stay awake and focus his attention long enough to read the article, Fancy Grape Juice for Wine Lovers, that had caught his attention. The brunette managed to read about half a paragraph before he decided to close his eyes, the magazine fell out of his hands and onto the floor. Rick was out like a light.

xXxXx

For a while, nothing seemed to happen as both men continued in their deep slumber as the minutes continued to pass. At eleven thirty, the relatively calm night slowly began to change. The wind, which had been nonexistent just a few moments before, slowly began to blow. It started out gently, but gradually picking up speed with every minute that passed as thunder rumbled in the distance and flashes of lightning lit up the night sky.

Both Horatio and Rick's breathing began to slowly decrease, their breath rates matching each other's. As the time on the clock switched over to eleven fifty-nine, both men stopped breathing. For the next minute, nothing seemed to happen. Both men were lying there in their beds and neither were breathing. At midnight, a boom of thunder echoed, rattling doors and windows, as both men gasped deeply before their breathing returned to normal.

xXxXx

_Horatio was sitting at the desk in his office, staring at the folder in front of him when he heard a knock on the door. Looking up, the pen he had in his hand fell to the ground as the woman in her mid-thirties with light brown hair that fell a little past her shoulders walked up to his desk. She was wearing a cream colored long-sleeved blouse and a khaki colored skirt. The redhead blinked but she was still there._

"_Rachel?" His voice came out a hoarse whisper. Horatio looked up at her. The expression on his face was a mixture of confusion and relief._

_She didn't say anything until she reached his desk and leaned forward as if to kiss him but as Horatio leaned forward to meet her she stopped right in front of his face and hissed, "It's your fault I'm dead."_

"_Rachel, I-"_

_Horatio blinked. As he watched, Rachel Turner started to grow taller. As she grew taller, her hair shortened and darkened. As she changed, so did her clothes until it was no longer Rachel Turner standing there and in her place was Tim Speedle. He was wearing that same dark blue button up shirt and black slacks that he had been wearing the last time Horatio had seen the man alive._

"_H."_

"_Speed?" He choked out. "Is that you?"_

"_You should have made sure that I remembered to use that kit you gave me."_

"_Speed, I-"_

_The redhead stopped midsentence as the person standing in front of him began to change once more. Speed's hair started to grow long and as it did the color changed until it was a darker red than even Horatio's. As his height shrunk, Speed seemed to age about ten years and took on a more feminine appearance. His facial features softened and rounded out. As the hips widened, the clothes morphed into a simple green dress that brought out the color of the woman's emerald eyes._

"_Horatio Alger Caine."_

_Horatio stared down at his desk._

"_Look at me."_

_The redhead slowly opened his eyes to see his mother standing in front of his desk. "Mom, I'm sorry."_

"_Where were you when he killed me?"_

_xXxXx_

Horatio woke with a start. He knew that it was early; most likely the sun hadn't even risen yet. That was usually the case when he had nightmares. Without even opening his eyes, he knew that something was amiss. His body was tense as he carefully listened, ready to react if he heard anything the least bit dangerous.

He didn't hear anything and that, in itself, was the problem. There neither the rhythmic whirring of the fan blades nor did he hear the soft snoring of his cat.

Without opening his eyes, he brought his right hand up and rubbed his eyes before dragging it down his face. He froze when he felt something under his right eye. Thinking he was imagining it, Horatio ran his thumb over that spot again and it was still there. What he felt had Horatio bolting upright in the bed. He knew he didn't have a bump on his face when he went to bed the previous night.

Something wasn't right. Horatio knew that he spent a lot of time in the Miami sun, but he didn't think that a bump that size could appear overnight. Horatio reached up and felt the spot again. That bump was still there.

He scratched an itch under his chin and got another surprise. He wasn't used to having that amount of stubble on his face.

Things weren't adding up. There was the bump under his right eye along with the amount of stubble that had appeared over night. Horatio eased himself backwards in the bed so that he was sitting against the headboard as he looked down at the sheets that were covering his legs. As much as he didn't want to look, the older man knew that he had to. If it was there, then he wasn't going crazy and if it wasn't… Horatio gave his head a shake. _Don't think like that,_ he thought to himself as he took a deep breath as he pulled the sheet back to reveal his left hip and thigh. He gasped at the sight before him. The skin on the leg and hip was smooth with not a trace of the massive scarring that was usually present.

He reached for the lamp on his nightstand, but it wasn't there. There was an alarm clock and a wallet. It wasn't his, but he reached for it anyways. After grabbing it, Horatio flipped it open and blinked as he stared at the face on the driver's license.

_How did I end up at Stetler's?_ Horatio thought as he muttered to himself. "What the hell?"

He froze. That most certainly was not his voice. There was no way… It was impossible.

He jumped out of the bed, setting a fast pace out the door in his hurry to try and find a mirror. The first closed door he tried, which was across the hall, turned out to be a spare bedroom. The next was the bathroom. Horatio looked around and saw that there was a huge mirror above the sink on the right side of the room and easily took up half the wall. Taking a few deep breaths, Horatio approached the mirror.

Horatio closed his eyes and, without looking in it, let out the breath he had been holding out. Then, he slowly raised his head before opening his eyes. There staring back at him was not his own reflection, but that of Rick Stetler, right down to the mole under his right eye. Horatio blinked, yet the image did not change. He reached for the faucet and turned the cold water on full blast. Then, after liberally splashing his face with cold water, the reflection was still the same.

_Maybe it's a dream. _He thought to himself. _That has to be it. I'm trapped in some sort of nightmare. There is no other logical explanation for something like this to happen._

Deciding to test his theory, Horatio pinched the skin on 'his' left forearm as hard as he could before wincing from the pain. _Okay, so it's not a dream._ "Think, Horatio." The voice coming from his mouth had him gritting his teeth in annoyance.

It was only then did he realize that he didn't have a stitch of clothes on. Without looking down, he reached for a towel and wrapped it around his waist. A splash of color on the right hip not hidden by the towel caught his attention and he lifted the material up just enough to reveal a tattoo before letting the cloth fall back into place. It wasn't a small one, but the tattoo wasn't particularly large either though it did cover a good portion of the hip. The design was that of a full moon with a pair of wolves sitting in front of it with their tails curling around to touch their front paws. The first wolf was sitting on the left. It was black with brown eyes, which wasn't that unusual for wolves, but it was the second one that grabbed his attention. That wolf had red fur with blue eyes.

He never expected Rick, Mr. Stickler for the Rules, to have a tattoo, much less one like this. Horatio had to admit that it was a wonderful piece of artwork, the wolves were very realistic and they were beautiful. He gave his head a small shake. _This is not the time to dwell on that, Horatio,_ he thought to himself not wanting to talk out loud and hear _that_ voice. Horatio didn't know what he was going to do and that was a new feeling for him. This whole situation was beyond mind boggling.

When no reasonable explanation was forthcoming, Horatio decided to come up with a plan of action. He would get dressed, then go over to _HIS_ house and see if Rick was there and see if he knew what the hell was going on.

He quickly dressed in the outfit that had been laid out the night before, purposely ignoring the ugly green and blue paisley tie which was still sitting on the dresser. Horatio grabbed the wallet off of the nightstand and headed for the stairs.

Once Horatio had made it downstairs, he could smell coffee. Following his nose, he found the kitchen. There on the counter by the programmable coffee maker was a travel mug, a cell phone on its charger, and a set of keys on a wolf key ring. Seeing those items made Horatio realize that he had been about to walk out the door without anything but the wallet.

_Come on Horatio, use your head. The last thing that you need to do is get locked out of the place. Don't go storming off. That's something Rick would do, not you._

Giving his head a small shake, Horatio walked over and filled the travel mug before he unplugged the phone from the charger and shoved it into his pocket. With a last glance around, he couldn't help but notice that the kitchen was fairly large. Even he was impressed by it as he grabbed the keys and the mug before heading out the door. It took him a few tries before finding the right key to lock the front door. As much as they disliked each other, he refused to be responsible for something happening to the other man's property. Once he had succeeded, he turned in the direction of the driveway and stopped dead in his tracks.

Horatio blinked. _How on earth does he get into a car that small?_

Giving his head a small shake, Horatio covered the remaining distance between him and the car. He then unlocked the door and tried to get inside only to slam the side of his head hard on the top of the car as he tried to fold himself inside.

"For crying out loud," he muttered under his breath as he rubbed the side of his head. Pulling down the visor, Horatio glanced in the mirror and saw that there was a big red spot right on his temple that would most likely result in a rather colorful bruise.

Horatio brought the vehicle to life, just as the radio that started playing loudly startled him.

"_I know what I was feelin', But what was I thinkin'?"_

Horatio reached over and turned the radio off before glancing down at it. _Country music? That's a surprise. _What wasn't surprising was seeing that it was still early. As he watched, the clock changed from 5:59 to 6:00 AM. As he looked around, Horatio realized that he wasn't familiar with this area. It was out in one of the few remaining secluded areas of Miami Dade. He didn't see a single house anywhere close. Frowning, he realized that he had never been out this way on a callout before either. Shaking his head, he pulled the wallet out of his back pocket and looked at Rick's driver's license once more. After studying the address, Horatio returned the wallet to his pocket and mentally went over his knowledge of the Miami-Dade County roads.

He, Horatio Caine, didn't know where he was. Why anyone would choose to live out in the middle of nowhere was beyond him. He reached over to open the glove compartment only to discover that it was locked.

He growled when he realized that he was going to have to kill the engine because the key to open the box was on his key ring. After finally getting the compartment open, Horatio was relieved to see that there was a map inside. Pulling it out, he studied it for a few minutes before he found where he was. Then, Horatio folded the map back up, stuffed it back into the glove box, and restarted the car. He then carefully reversed out of the driveway and took off towards his house, not knowing what to expect once he arrived.

xXxXx


	4. Chapter 4

xXxXx

Someone pounding at his door roused Rick from the deep slumber he had been in. Trying to ignore the ever increasing racket, he rolled onto his side and pulled the spare pillow over his head. It still didn't do much to drown out the insistent pounding.

"GO AWAY!" He shouted still half-asleep.

When nothing happened in response, Rick lifted the pillow off of his head and forced one eye open to glance at the clock by his bed. "For crying out loud, it's 6:40 in the frigging morning," he mumbled as he stumbled out of the bed. "There had better be a damn good reason for this." He continued to mutter as he stumbled his way down the staircase drawing ever closer to the irritating pounding on the door.

As soon as he reached the front door, Rick fumbled with the door trying to get it unlocked before he jerked it wide open. "WHAT?" He shouted at his uninvited guest before he got a good look at him. He froze and then everything went dark.

xXxXx

The initial rude greeting wasn't a surprise, seeing 'his' face when the door opened was. _Hell,_ he thought to himself when he saw 'his' pale as if it had seen a ghost before his body began to sway woozily.

Horatio hadn't been sure about what he was going to find when he ended up at his place, but this certainly wasn't it. He blinked and, when he opened his eyes, nothing had changed. Horatio was still staring at himself.

Horatio lunged forward and managed to catch the other man before he hit the ground. "This gives a whole new meaning to catching yourself before you fall."

Horatio half dragged, half-carried Rick through the door, kicking it closed behind him. Once he managed to get Rick over to his sofa, Horatio promptly dropped him on it. Then, he disappeared into his kitchen, returning several minutes later with a plastic cup filled with water. Upon returning to the living room, Horatio simply stared at himself for a moment before dumping the cup's contents upon 'his' face.

Rick woke instantly, cursing up a storm. Horatio watched him, amused at the number and range of colorful words that Rick seemed to know. He let the other man go on for a few minutes before he cleared his throat.

Rick whirled his head around in the direction of the cough. "What the FUCK?" He demanded before realizing that the words that emerged from his mouth wasn't coming from his voice. He leapt up off the couch as if it had electrocuted him.

Horatio sighed, knowing what was on the other man's mind. "There's a mirror beside the door above the coat hook." Rick didn't even acknowledge him; he pushed past the other man making a mad dash for the mirror. He stared into it for a few moments before cautiously reaching and feeling the face while watching Horatio's reflection doing the same thing. He blinked.

"That doesn't work." Horatio replied, sitting the empty cup down before turning around to face himself. "Believe me when I say that I've lost count of how many times I've tried to make it work."

"You… me?" Rick stammered, trying to make his point but failing miserably as he pointed a shaking hand at himself first before turning it on the other man. "Me… you?"

Horatio slipped up behind Rick and glanced over his shoulder to stare at their reflections. He rolled his eyes and watched as Stetler's reflection did the same. "Yes, Rick, we've established that fact. Strange as it may be."

Rick was no longer listening to anything the other man said. "No… no… no… no…" Horatio tried to be patient, honestly, he did. But it was too unnerving to watch him body shaking his head and muttering the word 'no' repeatedly.

"RICK!" He shouted. "Snap out of it!"

Horatio's response did nothing to stop the other man. If anything, it seemed to make it worse. Placing his hands on his hips, he glared at the redhead. Since Rick was no longer looking in the mirror, instead staring blankly into space, it had no effect.

Horatio was not only uncomfortable, which was an understatement, but he was also just plain disturbed. Rick wasn't helping matters any, but, then again, that wasn't anything new. This whole situation was unnerving and so implausible that the fact it _was_ happening lead Horatio to question his very outlook on the world.

Shaking his head, Horatio grabbed Rick's… no, that wasn't right, 'his' shoulder and spun him around so that he was now staring into the shorter man's eyes. He fought the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. On top of everything else, Horatio was now getting a headache. When nothing changed regarding the situation with Rick, the brunette gave a small grin that swiftly morphed into a smirk as an idea struck him.

Rick quickly looked away until his own hand grabbed his chin and forced him to stare into familiar brown eyes. "Rick, what's the deal with the tattoo on your hip?"

Horatio watched Rick carefully. The other man ceased his muttering no as soon as he heard the question. Instead, 'his' face lost all color as Rick buried his head in his hands. "Oh God."

"Well," Horatio began, not knowing whether to be amused or annoyed by the other man's actions. "That didn't work out quite like I had hoped, but at least you are making sense now."

"Do you really want to know or were you just saying that to shut me up?"

"Yes, I would like to know. But first, could you please put some clothes on. It's a little unnerving to be looking at myself standing wearing nothing but boxers."

As Horatio watched, 'his' face was no longer blanched. In fact, Rick was blushing and the blush slowly traveled down his body. He went to pinch himself only to have Horatio grab 'his' arm before he could make contact.

"Been there, done that, and have the bruise to prove it. It's not a dream, as much as I wish that it was."

Rick frowned. "Bruises?"

"Clothes first, then questions will be dealt with later."

Rick opened and closed his mouth before he glared at the other man. As Horatio watched, he turned and stormed up the stairs. Choosing not to make a comment in response, H stalked over to his armchair where he plunked himself down before burying his head in his hands. He wasn't surprised several minutes later, when he heard the sound of the shower start up.

xXxXx

Stetler retraced his steps until he was back into Horatio's room, where he made a beeline for the other man's closet. Upon opening the door, Rick paused. He was impressed at the suits that the redhead owned. Rather than spending the entire day debating, he grabbed the closest one to him, which was a black suit coat and slacks. Then, he chose a charcoal gray shirt. Frowning, he began to browse through the other man's meager selection of ties. Finally, he grabbed a black one before beginning his hunt for the bathroom.

Rick growled in frustration. "Leave it to Horatio to make things complicated." He had to try every door in the hallway before he finally discovered the bathroom. Not only was it at the far end of the hall, but it was the last door on the right. Rolling his eyes, he disappeared inside locking the door behind him.

Once inside, he grabbed himself a towel and washcloth out of the closet before closing the doors and hanging the suit up on the closet's hinges. Rick froze as he stared at the shower. He shook his head. He couldn't do this now.

Instead, Rick looked down. He saw some scarring below the leg of the boxers. Frowning, he took a deep breath before slowly lifting up the leg to reveal more of the scarring. He drew a sharp intake. The entire part of Horatio's left upper leg was mostly covered in scar tissue. There was what looked like a newer one that was a little higher up but it disappeared into the main scar.

Rick frowned. Even though he suspected that the other man hadn't had the best childhood, he never thought that Perfect Horatio would be scarred like this. He wasn't sure how it happened, but he had a feeling that it was bad. Stetler gave his head a small shake before turning the water off and got dressed without getting into the shower.

xXxXx

Still with his head buried in his hands, he waited and was surprised when he didn't hear a scream coming from Stetler. The usual reaction to people seeing the scar was either them looking at it and then him in turn in disgust or they screamed. There were a few people, and he could count those on one hand, that had done neither. Alexx was the only member of his team to know about them, much less have seen them. Groaning, he threw his head back against the chair and closed his eyes. "What next?"

Without opening his eyes, he tried to think of a way something like this _could_ happen. Horatio was so engrossed in his thoughts that he failed to notice when the shower cut off. He started slightly when he heard his voice followed by footsteps coming down the stairs. Horatio turned in his seat to stare at his body tying one of 'his' ties as he descended the last of the stairs.

"You have the most boring ties that I've ever seen. All of them solid colors with no designs whatsoever. Not to mention a rather meager selection at that."

"At least they aren't rejects from a tie factory." Horatio snapped, glaring at Rick.

Stetler made a tsking sound as he shook his head which had Horatio gritting his teeth. "Touchy." When Horatio growled at him, he simply smirked. "So what happened?"

There was a short pause. Horatio did not want to admit that he had no earthly idea what happened to Rick Stetler of all people.

Frowning, the brunette looked at over his body. "Bruises, Horatio?"

Horatio sighed as he removed his suit coat and began to unbutton the sleeve to his left arm revealing a nice sized bruise from where he had pinched himself earlier that morning.

Rick grabbed the arm and stared at it before he realized what he was doing and released his hold causing the arm to flop onto the other man's lap. Horatio glared at him because he had not been anticipating that action. "Nice one, Rick."

Stetler ignored the other man's growl because something else had grabbed his attention. It was a large red spot on the side of his temple that was already starting to change colors. "What the HELL are you trying to do to my body?" He demanded.

"NOTHING!" Horatio snapped. "I wasn't trying to do anything. I simply slammed my… your head getting into that car of yours. Which begs the question, why do you drive such a tiny car when you're so tall?"

Once more, Rick felt himself blushing. He cursed himself, as he never blushed this easy in his body. He looked down at the floor before answer the other man's question. "I uh… liked the color."

The former brunette took a deep breath and counted to ten. Lifting his head, Rick stared into the other man's eyes. That annoyed him to no end. He was used to being taller than Horatio. "Now can you please tell me just what exactly it was that you did to get us in this predicament?" Stetler allowed himself to smirk at the indignant look on 'his' face in response to the question.

"Me? Why do you think that I had something to do with this? What about you?"

"What do you mean by what about me?"

"What on earth did you do to cause this? I can't think of a single logical reason that something like this could possibly happen." There was a short pause before H had realized what he had just admitted to. "Damn."

Just then, there was a loud yowl that alerted both men to the presence of Richie.

"What the heck was that?"

It was Horatio's turn to smirk at Rick's reactions. "That would be my cat, Richie."

The Lieutenant had been about to inform Stetler about how ornery the feline could be when Richie walked right up to 'his' body and wove himself around and through Rick's legs in a figure eight pattern. Horatio's mouth dropped open. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, before blinking again. In the three years that he had owned the cat, Richie had never done that with him or anyone else for that matter.

Rick frowned in confusion at the other man's reactions to his pet. "What?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Horatio, try me. I'm looking at you, Horatio Caine, standing here across from me in MY body and yet you say that I wouldn't believe you." He blinked. "Okay, that even sounded insane to me, but you get the gist of what I'm trying to say here."

Before Horatio even had a chance to answer, the cat decided that it was time to ignore Rick and instead padded over to Horatio. He jumped from the floor, to the coffee table, to the arm chair, to Horatio's shoulder, before finally coming to a stop on his head where he promptly sat his furry little butt down and let his tail dangle in the man's face. If possible, his mouth dropped open even further.

Rick wasn't sure whether or not to be amused. He had to admit that 'he' looked funny with a cat sitting on his head, but the fact of the matter was if Horatio's jaw dropped any further it would be touching the floor.

Horatio sighed, resigned to the fact that he was going to have to answer the other man's questions and not liking it one iota. "Okay, first off Richie doesn't like anyone. When I adopted him from the shelter, he was literally one minute away from being carted off to be put down when I spotted him. The staff tried their best to talk me out of getting him and choosing one of their 'nicer' cats instead of 'Evil Dick' as they come to call him. They said that he was the worst tempered cat that they had ever laid eyes on. They also seemed to think that he had been abused before he wound up at the shelter."

"I can see why you adopted him." The words managed to slip out before Rick could reign in his tongue.

"Needless to say, they failed." Horatio added with a smirk.

"You can be stubborn when you want to be."

"Pot, meet Kettle."

Stetler, for once, ignored the comment. "I can see that. What I want to know is what is it that has your, I mean, my jaw an inch away from touching the carpet?"

"Richie is the most cantankerous cat that you've ever seen in your life and I'm not exaggerating. It took me several months after he was adopted before I could touch him without getting scratched. He has never, I repeat, has never done a figure eight around anyone's legs before, and that's including me."

"Oh," Rick asked with a frown; he had been hoping for something good. "Is that all?"

Horatio just raised an eyebrow at that question, causing Rick to narrow his eyebrows in confusion. "No, that is not all there is to it. It was only after I had gained his trust enough for Richie to let me touch him without getting scratched that he found a way to get contact on his terms. When I was watching television or working on reports, he would jump up and sit on my head much like he is doing now."

"So somehow, Richie is able to tell the difference between us?"

"Evidently, that's the case."

Stetler simply grinned when the watch on Horatio's… no, his wrist, started beeping and startled him. Richie leapt off of his head with a snarl and as soon as he was safely on the floor disappeared out of the room.

"You're awfully jumpy today."

"You're being way too calm about this situation." Horatio shot back, as he fumbled with the watch trying to shut it off and not succeeding. He finally just chucked it at Rick who easily caught it in his right hand. "Just turn the damn alarm off and why do you have it set to go off now anyways?"

"In response to your first statement, I've learnt to deal with the punches, so to speak." Rick replied, after taking time to formulate what he wanted to say so that he wouldn't slip and give something away. With just a touch of a button, he had silenced the watch and handed it back to Horatio. "It was set as a backup in order to make sure that I got up in plenty of time for me to shave, shower, and get dressed for work."

As both men registered what Rick had said, an identical deer in the headlights look appeared on their faces. "SHIT! Work!" Both men exclaimed at the same time. "What the hell are we going to do?"


	5. Chapter 5

"What the hell are we going to do?"

Horatio took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as Rick did the same. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Horatio began to speak once more. "Well, we can't go in looking like this." He said, motioning first at himself and then at Rick.

"Unless…"

"Unless what, Rick?"

Rick gave the other man a small smile. Horatio found it disturbing since it was the one that usually meant either he was about to pull out some particular damning piece of evidence during an interview. It was also one that he sported when he was plotting something.

"Unless you go in as me to IAB and I go in as you…"

"Rick, are you INSANE? That would never work?"

Stetler narrowed his eyes, glaring at Horatio who was still in 'his' body. One thing he missed was his height advantage on the other man, albeit it was only a couple of inches, but still… "What do you mean by 'would never work'? Do you have a better idea O Great Lieutenant? Oh wait, that's me now."

Horatio stood up, placed his hands on his hips, and glared at Rick. Unfortunately, it didn't have its usual intensity. Rick simply smiled and mimicked his posture and doing a damned good impression. Of course, it was helped by the fact that the other man was in his body.

Rick waited a few minutes before he smirked. Folding his arms across his chest, he once more glared at Horatio. "Now, why are you saying that it won't work?"

"For one thing, you only know the general basics about forensics."

Rick raised an eyebrow at that. This was going to be so much fun when he decided to burst the lieutenant's bubble. However, for the time being, he was content to let him keep talking and sticking his foot in his mouth.

"Also, my team will definitely notice something is up." Horatio finished, placing his hands on his hips.

"Let me get this straight. When you say your 'team', are you talking about Eric, who is so obviously distracted by something that is starting to affect his job performance? Or are you talking about Ryan, who is constantly bickering with Delko? Or do you mean Calleigh, who spends most of her time acting as referee between them? In all honesty, Horatio, how they get their jobs done at all is beyond me. Oh, and you're wrong about me 'just knowing the general basics'."

Horatio growled as he stepped closer to Rick getting in the other man's personal space. "Leave my team out of this."

The redhead smirked. "Don't you mean 'my' team?"

Horatio growled. "No. I don't know why you have a personal vendetta against me, but don't involve them. We both know that it's not just because of that promotion."

"Don't go there."

"Then leave my team out of it. Besides, what exactly did you mean by I was 'wrong'?"

"I've been taking courses and going to seminars, sometimes on my own dime, whenever I can." Rick said with a smirk, as he watched the other man closely. "I don't particularly enjoy being in IA as much as everyone seems to think but someone has to do it."

"Why is that, Rick?"

Rick simply smirked. "I think it might be best for you to experience that firsthand rather than me explain it. Oh, word of advice, whatever you do don't forget to eat lunch. I don't want to hear about Rose carrying out her threat of bringing me lunch and making sure that I eat."

Horatio quirked an eyebrow at that. "Excuse me, but exactly who is Rose?"

As he watched, 'his' face burst into a huge grin. "Oh, that's right. You haven't had the pleasure of getting the full Rose McCall treatment, otherwise you'd remember her. She's my secretary." Rick's voice trailed off causing the brunette to glare at him, positive that he was leaving something out.

Horatio groaned, throwing his head back, as he collapsed into his armchair. Before he had a chance to say anything, Richie returned to the room and jumped on Horatio's lap and snarled. Rick raised an eyebrow and sent the other man a puzzled look.

"He's hungry." H found himself explaining and, much to his surprise, Stetler was actually listening. He was looking at Horatio and actually paying attention to what he was saying. "I usually fed him right before I leave for work and again before I go to bed if it's been a particularly long day." Horatio was warily watching Richie as the cat began kneading his paws against his legs with the claws extended. He gave Richie a look. "You know, in order for me to be able to feed ya, I have to stand first." He told the cat, not really expecting him to react nor noticing that Rick's southern accent had slipped out as he spoke.

So, he was surprised by the fact that the cat ended up jumping down from his lap and darted out of the room, most likely into the kitchen. Rick grinned as Horatio simply sat there for a few seconds.

"Well, come on, I don't know where everything is and if this lasts more than a day I don't want to run the risk of encountering the 'wrath of Richie'."

"Yeah, you joke about this now. I'm looking forward to when you do get to encounter it; and don't expect any sympathy from me whenever that happens.

Rick barked out a short laugh. "Since when have you ever sympathized with me? Or anyone else for that matter? I learned a long time ago…"

Realizing that he had almost given away something important, Rick fell silent. Instead, he glared at Horatio as he followed him into the kitchen.

"You learned a long time ago what?"

"It's nothing. Just drop it." He snapped.

Horatio chose not to respond to Stetler as he ignored the way the other man was following him around the kitchen trying to get the lay of the land. H couldn't help but grin at the way Richie's ears went from being flattened against the base of his skull to pricked forwards as soon as he heard the noise of the can opener.

Rick only backed away from Horatio when the other man went to open up the can. He leaned against the fridge and folded his arms across his chest. The other man was doing everything in his power to avoid looking at him, but he eventually ran out of things to do and once his cat was eating, he turned to face Stetler.

"I don't like it, but I don't have any better ideas." Rick couldn't help but smirk at the way Horatio had grumbled the words.

"What are you smirking about?"

"You not having any ideas does not happen very often, now does it?"

"And how often do people suddenly and inexplicably switch bodies with each other?"

"Touché."

Horatio frowned when he finally realized just what it was that had been bugging him from the moment Rick had come back downstairs from his shower. "Why are you wearing a tie? I don't have any court cases today."

"For exactly the same reason you aren't wearing a tie. I'm just not me without one." He gave his head a small shake. "Though until this is over I'm literally not me and you're not you and I'll just shut up before I confuse myself even more."

"Now that, Rick, is a good idea for a change."

"Hey!"

"Well, it's true. As much as I hate to say it, people are going to talk if I suddenly show up without my badge or gun. Well, talk more, than they would when I suddenly show up wearing a tie when I don't have to appear in court."

"Enough with the 'I'm wearing a tie when you normally don't' lecture. I damn well get the point. Anyways, why is it that you don't wear them unless you have to?"

Horatio ducked his head. "I don't see how that's relevant in this case, Rick."

The redhead raised an eyebrow when he saw Horatio duck his head. Rick knew the other man's mannerisms enough to know that meant he was either embarrassed or was being praised. "It's relevant; I can see that by your reaction. I'm just not sure how it fits in."

The brunette stayed silent.

"Come on, and just tell me."

"No."

"It's not like you can't tie them, right?"

Horatio didn't say anything at first.

Rick blinked, the other man's lack of saying anything confirmed more than if he'd just denied it. "I'm right?"

H glared at him. "No, you're not."

Rick really tried. Honestly, he did. He fought the laughter for as long and as hard as he could before losing the battle. When he finally heard his (rather Horatio's) laugh, his eyes widened. "You snort when you laugh?"

Horatio's eyes widened as he stared at Rick. Stetler had discovered the one thing that none of his team, Alexx included, had managed to discover about him. Glaring at the other man, he placed his hands on his hips. "Drop it," he snapped.

Stetler was laughing so hard that he was coughing and had to get him a glass of water to stop.

"It's not that funny." Horatio growled.

"Oh, but it is. It means that you _are_ human and not Super H." Rick's smirk got even bigger when he noticed the confused look on 'his' face. "Don't tell me you haven't heard your nickname?"

"Who in the world came up with that ridiculous nickname?"

"If I wanted to be mean, I'd blame it on the three stooges. But honestly, I don't know who did come up with it although I do have my suspicions."

"'The Three Stooges'? Are you serious? Rick, give me a break. I'm not stupid."

"I never said that you were. I may not have agreed with you, but I know that you're smart or you wouldn't have the solve rate that you do. Besides, I don't mean the literal three stooges." He added with a smirk. "You'll see who I'm talking about when you show up at work today. It's kind of hard to miss them."

Rick had finally managed to calm his laughing down somewhat as he still wanted to know why Horatio rarely wore ties. "So, if I AM wrong then why do you not wear ties?"

The brunette placed his hands on his hips. "Why do you keep asking me that?"

"I want to know because you keep trying to evade my questions."

Horatio growled. "It's because I don't want Eric asking questions."

"Why would he?"

Horatio sighed, his annoyance at the other man getting stronger. "It's not any of your damned business."

"It is, especially when I might have to answer those questions if they come up. So don't give me that bullshit excuse."

"Because of the reason behind why I would wear one on a day I don't have court."

Rick growled annoyed at Horatio refusing to answer his question. "Stop avoiding answering me."

H glared at Rick, not saying anything at first. Then, with a sigh, he answered. "Because I've usually just entered a physical relationship and I don't need him asking about a relationship when there isn't one."

Rick raised an eyebrow at that. He knew that the other man tended to attract a lot of attention, but he didn't expect for him to have to hide marks. It also made him wonder about the scar on his leg. Before he could ask about it, Horatio shoved past him. Both men were running low on time and neither of them could afford to be late. He watched as the brunette marched upstairs. Horatio grabbed his gun and badge out of the safe. Then, after picking up his wallet and keys, he stormed back downstairs only to discover that Rick had been laughing again.

"Here," He muttered, shoving the items onto the counter in front of Rick.

"Time to go," Horatio replied, ushering 'his body' towards the door. He snatched the keys from Rick's hands, locking the door behind him before reluctantly handing the keys back. His eyes paused longingly on the Hummer before he sighed and took a step towards the tiny Ford Focus.

Rick strode past him and with a smirk climbed into the Hummer. "Horatio?"

"What?"

"Take better care of my body. I don't want to be covered in bruises when we change back." With that, he closed the door and brought the vehicle to life as he carefully backed out of the driveway taking great care not to damage his car.

Horatio's mouth dropped open as he watched the Hummer until it disappeared from sight. "He is enjoying this way too much."

_There may be a reason for that_, a voice at the back of his mind prodded as he remembered how he had treated the other man.

He carefully folded Rick's frame back into the car and was proud that he didn't hit his head this time around.


	6. Chapter 6

When he finally reached the Crime Lab, Horatio circled around the parking garage until he found 'his' Hummer and then pulled into the closest empty space near it. Taking a deep breath, he exited the vehicle, locked it, and strode towards the building.

Horatio had expected that he wouldn't be welcomed when he walked in the door but he didn't think it would be as bad as this. Everywhere he looked, there were people glaring at him. Horatio tried to ignore the looks he was receiving as he made his way through the lobby to the elevator. Once inside, Horatio punched the number four. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up as the elevator slowly began its assent. Taking another deep breath, the brunette let it out slowly, as he glared at the reflection in the elevator's wall. At least he was alone.

Suddenly, music started blaring from his pocket. _Why does everybody want to kick my ass? I'm just trying to have a little fun._ Horatio scrambled to answer the cell phone as the lyrics continued to blast out at an ever increasing volume. "Caine." He answered out of habit before promptly wincing at the stupidity of what he had just done.

"You're not Horatio anymore, remember? Aren't you glad it's me calling and not someone else?"

"Not really, Rick. What is it that you want?"

"I was just wondering how long you have been postponing completing your paperwork. There's almost a full stack that is due on Monday alone. What the hell have you been doing all this time?"

"I was doing my job, Rick. I was out giving families closure." The elevator slowed to a stop as Horatio took a deep breath and let it out. With a loud ding, the doors slid open. Down the hall, Horatio saw there was a group of three men that, to his trained eye, were up to no good.

If Internal Affairs had been unceremoniously given the nickname of the Rat Squad, then the first man was their poster boy. He had a head full of short brown hair that was cropped close to his head and slicked back with some kind of greasy hair gel. He estimated his height to be about five feet on the nose.

The second was roughly his… no… Rick's height, but definitely had the weight advantage on him most of that pure muscle. He had curly blonde hair and he was already balding in the back, which he tried to cover up by brushing his hair back and spraying it with a generous coating of hairspray. Horatio could smell it as soon as he stepped out of the elevator.

There was really nothing unique about the third one. He was about five foot five, a hundred and ten pounds give or take a few, with a slender build. Horatio realized that if he wasn't with the other two, he probably wouldn't have made a notable impression on him if they were to pass each other on the street.

He made a hard right turn in an attempt to make a huge circle to try and reach Rick's office and hopefully avoid the three men. He rolled his eyes as his voice once more drifted over the phone. "Don't you realize how important turning paperwork in on time is?" Rick nagged. "McVeigh's execution was delayed because the Feds withheld some of their case reports during the bombing investigation."

"Yes, I realize that. See how easy it is when cases come rolling in. Now is really not a good time _Horatio_." He emphasized his name in hopes that Rick would catch on to the fact that it really wasn't a good time.

"I'm going to venture a guess and say that the three stooges, also known as, Peters, Sheffield, and Coats are standing around."

"Yes, that's correct."

"Have any of them spotted you yet?"

"I don't think so."

"Whatever you do, don't look behind you and head straight for my office. Rose should be there. The three of them had an encounter with her once. I have no idea what she threatened them with, and to be honest I'm not sure that I want to know, but they tend to stay clear whenever she's around."

"Rose?" Horatio asked.

There was a sigh on the other end of the line and he knew that the other man had caught his incredulous tone. It was confirmed with Rick's next words. "I can take care of myself thank you very much. If you want to see for yourself, and we still haven't changed by lunchtime, meet me in the gym."

"Just what exactly are you going to be doing in the meantime?"

"Trying to get your paperwork in some sort of manageable order as well as attempt to figure out just what the hell happened that caused us to switch places. Remember you are Rick Stetler now." With that, he ended the call.

Horatio fought the urge to growl and throw Rick's phone against the nearest wall. He could literally see the other man smirking in his body as he said that.

"Let me guess," came a voice from behind him. "Poor little Rick got upstaged by Horatio Caine yet again."

Horatio froze. _Crap_, he thought to himself as he slowly turned around and found him face to face with goon number two. However, it wasn't him. It was Rat who had spoken. "What do you want?"

"Want? We don't want anything. It's just fun to mess with you and its always more fun after you've had an encounter of some sorts with Caine."

Horatio bit back the smile that he felt forming, knowing it wasn't going to help matters any. "Sorry to disappoint you gentlemen, but you're not going to get a reaction out of me." _Smart move Caine,_ Horatio thought to himself mentally wincing. The last thing that he needed was to give any of these guys any kind of encouragement.

"Is that so?"

The third guy just chuckled as he and Muscles exchanged looks. Rat simply smiled as he took his time approaching Horatio. "Oh look, he's trying to act like Lieutenant Caine. Very poorly, I might add."

Goon Number Three simply smirked, before adding his two cents in. "He's even trying to dress like him. See, he's not wearing a tie." He smirked and leaned in closer. "Do you think trying to dress like him is going to get his attention?"

Horatio frowned in confusion. "What?"

Muscles laughed at the brunette's response and elbowed the third in the side.

Horatio found himself standing up as tall as he could as he glared at the three men standing before him. He refused to give them any ammunition. Rat looked like he wanted to say something but he was interrupted when someone else called Rick's name.

Turning around, Horatio somehow managed to keep a neutral expression that masked his relief. It was Major Michael Delmare, head of the Internal Affairs Bureau. "Rick? Got a minute?"

"Sure." He replied, trotting after the other man all the while wondering what on earth was going on.

Both men remained silent as the older man led the way back to his office. Horatio followed him, trying to collect his thoughts. He didn't know what was going on and he didn't like it. He was about to take Rick up on his offer to meet him in the gym at lunchtime. He needed to work out some of his frustration and the day had only just started.

Delmare entered his office. He walked over to his desk and sat down. "Close the door, Rick." Though it was spoken casually, Horatio knew it was an order.

Pulling the door shut behind him, he walked forwards and stood in front of Delmare's desk.

"Have a seat, Rick. You're not in trouble."

"So what is this about then?"

"It's about your suggestion."

"My what?"

Delmare smiled, chuckling softly to himself. "Don't go all humble on me now, Rick. Your suggestion that IAB officers need to take courses as well as attend forensics seminars in order to be better able to perform their jobs, of course. I'll admit that I was a bit skeptical at first. However, when you volunteered to be the one to test it, I was truly shocked that you had even offered. You were and still are one of my best agents. Not only has your performance improved, which was surprising in itself, but the higher-ups were suitably impressed as well and they want to make it mandatory."

If Horatio hadn't already been sitting in the chair, he knew that there was a good chance he'd have ended up on the floor upon hearing that interesting little tidbit.

"Come again?"

"You do a good job, Rick. I see a lot of potential in you, and you can easily go far with your ability."

Though unspoken, Horatio could practically hear the 'but' in there, so he chose to verbalize it. "But?"

"But this thing you have for Lieutenant Caine…"

"Excuse me?" Horatio asked as he gave a shake of his head.

Delmare sighed. "This…" his voice trailed off as he motioned at Horatio. "Whatever it is, you need to get your act together. I know that there is something more than him simply beating you out of that promotion. Yes, I understand what you were going through with your mother at the time. Whatever else there is, you need to deal with it." When he saw Horatio open his mouth, Delmare held his hand up in the universal signal for stop.

"Look, I'm not saying that it's just you. Lieutenant Caine knows how to push your buttons just as well as you know how to push his."

Horatio's mouth closed with an audible click. "So what exactly is it that you're saying?"

"I'm not sure why you chose to go into IAB when it's obvious that that you've never been satisfied with it. However, despite the fact you are very good at what you do. I know you don't handle praise very well, but it's the honest truth. And despite your dislike for Caine and his team, you never went out of your way to force your decision. Like him, you choose to let the evidence speak. Take this most recent case, for example. While the evidence did point to him for a while, you didn't raise the fuss that you could have when his team discovered the evidence that was able to clear him. In fact, I think you deserve to know the truth. I watched closely from the background because I was concerned. Everyone knows of the legendary disputes between the two of you."

Rick's boss gave his head a small shake before he continued. "Basically, what I'm trying to say is that while I don't want to lose you, if you do happen to find an area where you'll be happier then you'll definitely have a letter of recommendation from me."

"I… uh… thanks…"

"There's no need to thank me now, and I hope that you stick around for a while to come. Don't you worry about Coats and the others. Yeah I know what the three of them have been up to but, I can't arrest or punish them for pushing your buttons. If I did that, then I'd have to go after you and Caine as well."

"Is that all?" Horatio asked as he slowly rose from his seat. The headache which had started back at 'his' place had returned and this time it didn't look like it was going away anytime soon.

"Yes, Rick, that's all I had to say. You can go back now."

Horatio shook Delmare's hand before he turned around and left heading in the direction of Rick's office. He was flustered, which was a new feeling for him. He had to admit that he didn't mind it when he rattled other people, but it was a completely different story when _he_ wasn't on top of things.

"What happened to you?"

He looked up in time to see a woman in her fifties with brownish-gray hair getting up from her desk and striding towards him. "I hit my head on the roof of my car."

"That's not all there is to it, Mister."

His eyebrows shot skywards. She WAS good. "I also have a headache, and overall just not feeling myself today." Horatio added, hoping that it would satisfy Rose as well as hopefully putting a stop to her questions.

She slowly shook her head as she rolled her eyes. "Did you eat breakfast this morning?"

Horatio held up the travel mug. "If coffee counts for breakfast, then yes."

"Rick, you ought to know by now that it doesn't. You, go to your office now. I'll go down to the cafeteria and bring you back something. Do you remember what I told you last week?"

He was glad that Rick had mentioned the threat that morning. "Something along the lines of 'if I don't start eating you'll start bringing lunch and making sure that I eat it by watching me'?"

"Correct. You can also add breakfast to that list now."

Horatio started to duck his head but remembered at the last second that it was one of his mannerisms, not Rick's, and barely managed to stop in the nick of time. Instead, he gave the older woman a small smile. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good." She said with a grin. "Always the polite one. Now, you go sit down in your office. I'll be right back." Rose paused. "You mentioned a headache. It's not a migraine is it? If so, I can go and get your medicine."

"No, thank goodness, it isn't a migraine."

Rose watched as her charge disappeared into his office, closing the door behind him. She gave her head a small shake as she disappeared to go get Rick something to eat.

Once Horatio was sure that Rose had gone, he pulled out Rick's phone and dialed 'his' number.

xXxXx


	7. Chapter 7

xXxXx

Rick blinked when he walked into Horatio's office and saw that the desk was all but buried under folders. The first thing he did was call the other man to question him about it. After he ended the call, he moved the folders around so that he could sit on the edge of the desk while he looked over the callouts that he had been given.

"Who is it?"

Rick jerked his head up to see Eric standing there. He hadn't heard the door open. "Excuse me?"

"Who are you seeing?

"No one."

"Then why are you wearing a tie? You don't have court."

The redhead groaned inwardly. Horatio had been right. "I wanted to."

The Cuban chuckled. "So who is it really?"

"There isn't anyone. Not since…" Rick let his voice trail off as he shot a look at the younger man hoping that he was quick enough to get the message.

Before anything more could be said, the door swung open and Calleigh and Ryan entered. The blonde looked up at him with a puzzled expression. Rick cleared his throat only realizing then that he was sitting on the desk and Horatio would have leaned against it.

Standing up, Rick handed Calleigh the first page. "Calleigh, you and Mr. Wolfe have a homicide in Coconut Grove. Eric, you're solo today, a hit and run on the MacArthur Causeway.

Ryan looked up. "Are you going out on a case, H?"

Rick shook his head. "No, Mr. Wolfe. Not today." He said as he fought the urge to put his hand against his chin, instead he looked at the paperwork on the desk behind him. "I've got a lot of paperwork to do."

The three CSIs exchanged looks. "H, are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, Calleigh," Rick said before walking around to take a seat behind Horatio's desk as they left the office.

As he watched them walk off, Rick sighed. He had made it through the first task of the day all right. There were a couple close calls but he had handled it okay. Depending on how things went Rick would go out if need be, but he really hoped that it would be a slow day. He preferred to stay in Horatio's office and get the paperwork where it would be somewhat manageable in the future.

Rick looked down at the dwindling pile that was due Monday morning. He had been working on it for most of the morning and, as much as he hated to admit it, Horatio did keep good notes and his handwriting was legible. Otherwise, this whole situation would be an even bigger nightmare than it already was.

Rick sighed before he turned his attention back to the pile that was due on Monday. When he had walked into the Lieutenant's office earlier that morning, he didn't expect the desk to be all but buried under folders, but it was. Shaking his head he put another folder in the completed pile and grabbed another. He was just managing to get on a roll when the cell phone in his jacket started to blare "Won't Get Fooled Again", startling him.

"S… Caine."

"You almost slipped up."

"Knock it off, Horatio. Why are you calling? Have you run into trouble already, or did you just miss hearing your voice?"

"No, but there are a couple of things I need to talk to you about. First: medication?"

Rick narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"I mentioned that I had a headache and your secretary asked me if it was a migraine and if she needed to go get 'my' medicine."

The redhead sighed. "Horatio, I occasionally get migraines. When I do get one, I have medicine to help with the pain.

"How often do you get them?"

"Not that often." Rick retorted. "What else was it that you wanted?"

"I just thought that you should be informed about Rose's new threat."

"New threat? What the hell did you do?"

"She asked if I had eaten breakfast and, when I said if coffee counted, Rose asked if I remembered the threat. I said yeah and pretty much repeated what you told me. Thanks for letting me know about it, by the way."

Rick blinked. Did Horatio Caine just thank him for something? "Then what?"

"Then Rose said that breakfast was now included as well."

Rick slammed his head down onto the desk. A few seconds later, he heard his voice filter across the connection. "What on earth are you doing Rick?"

"Nothing, I'm just hitting my head on the desk."

"I think you mean that you're hitting my head." Horatio growled. "You remember what you said earlier about taking better care of your body?"

"I remember."

"Well, it works both ways. I'll see you at the gym later."

"I wasn't serious about the gym…"

But Horatio had already ended the call. Rick covered his head with his hand and mumbled one word. "Shit."

xXxXx

_It's amazing_, Rick thought to himself. Whenever he was dreading something, the time always seemed to fly by but when he was actually looking forward to something then a snail moved faster than the time did. When he had made the comment about the gym, his mouth had been going running while his brain had been stuck in neutral. Evidently, it wasn't just confined to him in his normal body.

He growled when he heard his dad's comment about him talking without thinking echo in the back of his mind. The man definitely had a colorful vocabulary for a preacher but, then again, how he acted at home was a completely different story than the act he presented to the public at large.

Rick went to grab a soda from the fridge he kept under his desk only to remember at the last minute that he wasn't in his office and there was no such luxury. After separating the completed paperwork from the uncompleted, Rick stood up. He glanced at the computer and frowned. He hadn't tried turning it on and now realizing it might have had it password protected. _Well_, he thought to himself, _hopefully everything will be back to normal tomorrow_.

After making a quick stop by the cafeteria, where he ignored the strange looks he was receiving. Obviously Horatio rarely stopped by the cafeteria. Without saying a word, he grabbed a soda and a sandwich and after paying for them headed for the gym.

Once inside, he sat on the sidelines, glad that there was no one else around as he waited for Horatio. He had already finished his lunch by the time Horatio entered the gymnasium. He was pacing from one end to the other when he heard the door open and saw 'himself' walk in. Rick was not going to get used to seeing that anytime soon. Without saying a word, he turned and disappeared into the locker room with Horatio following him.

With a sigh, Rick walked over to his locker, opened it, grabbed his gym clothes out, and tossed it over to Horatio. Then, after folding his arms across his chest, he waited for the other man to do the same.

Without looking at each other, they quickly changed into the workout clothes and stored the items in their 'actual' lockers. "If we don't change back, we'll have to figure out something to do about our lockers."

"Leave it to you to state the obvious, Horatio."

"Leave it to you to neglect mentioning something important." Horatio retorted as he took a step closer to Stetler getting in the other man's personal space.

"What are you talking about?" Rick growled.

"I'm talking about the fact that you actually had a decent, as well as useful, idea. Anything that that might actually make IAB better in the long run can only improve the department."

Rick growled at that, but before he could say anything Horatio spoke up. "I'll be in the gym when you're ready." With that, the brunette stalked off.

Rick smirked. It wasn't very often that he got to see Horatio Caine in a huff. Although, technically, _he_ was the one walking away in a huff.

He didn't straight up and follow after the other man. He paused in the doorway and watched as Horatio, dressed in 'his' gray sweat pants and light blue t-shirt, paced back and forth on the exercise mat while he waited for him. Rick gave it five minutes before he came strolling out calmly dressed in Horatio's navy blue sweatpants and white t-shirt.

"So, what did you do after you were released from holding? I know I finished _my_ paperwork on the case and then clocked out for the night."

Horatio placed his hands on his hips and glared at Rick. The other man simply smirked, finding it amusing that the pose that was normally so intimidating in the man who was normally shorter, was nowhere near as effective in his body. He just wasn't sure if it was because by now he was immune to the effects of it or what.

"Well, Mr. Wolfe and I managed to track Resden down. After which, we arrested him. Then, Ratner…" Horatio spit out the judge's name. "Ratner cut him free. After which, I went back to my office where I sat there attempting to do paperwork until Alexx sent Calleigh to come and get me. Under the threat of being handcuffed for the second time that day, I agreed and we all went out to eat."

"I was just following protocol, Horatio." The redhead explained with an exasperated sigh, before the rest of what the other man had said sunk in. He blinked. "Ratner did what? Why on earth would he do that?"

"It seems that he has it in for me much like you do. Can we please get back to trying to figure out just what the hell happened?"

"Fine," Rick snapped. "Have it your way. I know that you ate at the China Surprise since we saw each other there."

Horatio looked around and, of course, they were still alone. The two men began to slowly circle each other as they talked if anyone happened to pop in they'd be under the impression the two men were actually sparring. "So, that's our first connection. What did you eat?"

Rick frowned. "I had the egg rolls, the beef teriyaki, and the vegetable chow mien all off of the buffet as well as a fortune cookie. What did you eat?"

"I had the spring rolls, the chicken teriyaki, as well as the sweet and sour chicken off of the buffet. I also had a fortune cookie."

Rick froze, his eyes brightened as he made the connection. "Did you get one of the cookies off of the buffet or was it brought to you?"

"It was brought to me. The waitress said that it was a special fortune cookie. What about yours?"

Rick jerked his head up at that phrase and caught Horatio's… err… his eyes. "It was brought to me as well. Was there anything… strange about the fortune you received?" Rick wasn't about to be the one that mentioned the fact that his had been a blank piece of paper one minute and a fortune on it the next.

Horatio cocked an eyebrow at that. "Actually, now that you mention it, there was definitely something unusual going on with it."

"What do you mean by unusual? I swear, no matter how far out it sounds, I won't laugh."

"You swear?"

Rick gave a quick nod of 'his' head. "On my…" Rick blinked before staring into 'his' brown eyes. "I swear."

Horatio ducked his head and sighed. "The team wanted me to read the fortune out loud, but when I pulled the slip of paper out of the cookie, both sides were blank." When he looked up at Rick, 'his' face had lost all of its color. "What?"

"Mine was the same way. I closed my eyes, but when I looked again, there was a fortune there in black and white. It said, 'The smart thing is to prepare for the unexpected'."

Now, it was Horatio's turn to pale. "I told them that it was blank. Afterwards, Calleigh spoke up and told me in no uncertain terms, that it was flipped the wrong way. Sure enough, when I turned it over there was a fortune."

"What did yours say?"

"It said 'Sometimes the object of the journey is not the end, but the journey itself.'"

Both men jumped suddenly when the silence was broken by the sound of the door being swung open forcibly. They whipped around to glare at the intruders. It was a pair of young patrol officers.

The younger of the two patrolmen's eyes widened as he took in what was going on around him. His friend quickly leaned out the door and called out to their buddies that Stetler and Caine were sparring.

"Oh…" Rick muttered.

"…hell," Horatio finished up for him.

The two men had been hoping to use the gym during their lunch hour where they could hopefully figure out just what had happened without being interrupted. Of course, it figured that some of the newer officers would want to get in some extra training. When they saw Rick and Horatio in workout clothes circling each other, they knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Neither of them could have anticipated how fast the word of them sparring would spread. Almost immediately, the gym began to fill with spectators as both men began inching their way towards the locker room. They hadn't gone more than a couple of steps when they heard a very familiar voice which caused both men to freeze in place.

"So, it is true then?" A chipper southern drawl sounded. "You two are sparring. This ought to be good."

"Calleigh, I thought that you and Mr. Wolfe were out in the field." Rick replied calmly despite the situation.

Instead of Calleigh it was Ryan that responded to the question. "We were, Horatio. The two of us were waiting on some test results when we heard the rumors that you two were sparring. We had to come and see for ourselves." He smirked. "Delko is going to be so pissed when he hears what he missed."

"Actually, we're done." Horatio replied. "You missed it, we were just leaving."

"Stetler, stop lying."

Horatio cleared his throat at that, but it was Calleigh who spoke up next.

"Ryan's right. Neither of you have so much as broken out into a sweat." She added, with a smile. "Nice bruise forming there, Rick." She added, once she noticed where Horatio had hit his head that morning.

"Actually we really _were_ just leaving." Rick tried as he took a step forwards but neither Calleigh nor Wolfe moved an inch.

"Oh come on, H," Calleigh protested.

"Yeah H, we want to see you take Rick down a peg or two where he can't do anything about it. You know he deserves it."

Rick frowned as Horatio coughed at Wolfe's comment. He stared at the two crime scene investigators before glancing over at Horatio. With a barely perceptible shake of his head, Horatio confirmed what he had been suspecting. That there was no way the two of them were going to get out of there without actually sparring.

Horatio took a deep breath, knowing that he was being scrutinized. "Fine," he muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear as he threw up his hands into the air and stormed off towards the exercise mat.

Rick glared at Calleigh and Ryan a bit longer. The two of them who were grinning like a couple of kids that had been given free rein in a candy store, before turning around and following the brunette. The two men ignored the cheers that suddenly went up once the two of them were facing each other on the exercise mat.

"I hope you're happy now." Horatio hissed.

"Not really, no." Rick shot back in a whisper.

The two men slowly began to circle each other. Rick knew that it was imperative for Horatio to make the first move. There were a couple reasons for this. The first and foremost was that everyone actually thought that he was Rick. That was more his style, than the redhead's. He also knew from experience that people incorrectly assumed that he was always looking for a fight with the red-haired Lieutenant. Lastly, Rick knew that while Horatio didn't go looking for a fight, he certainly wasn't afraid to finish one.

For the first couple of minutes, nothing happened. Then, he spotted an opening. Rick raised an eyebrow. It was almost as if Horatio was taunting him into making the first move. Well, he wasn't going to fall for it. Nope, not this time. Instead, he glanced over at Horatio and gave him that small smile of his that Rick had always found to be extremely irritating. Evidently, it bothered the other man as much as it did him. Horatio dropped the tactic of trying to con him into getting closer and throwing the first punch. Instead, he launched one of his own, which Rick easily sidestepped before giving the other man a smirk. "Nice try, _Rick_."

Horatio narrowed his eyes as he glared at Rick. He knew that the other man was doing that on purpose to irritate him and the sad thing about it was that he'd probably be doing the exact same thing if they were in this situation and in their own bodies.

The door opened and closed, as another person joined the gathered crown to watch the unfolding spectacle. The noise distracted both men, but it was Horatio that was the first to recover his bearings. He rushed at Rick, and successfully managed to hit him in 'his' left shoulder before his own momentum was turned against him. The next thing he knew, Rick had successfully grabbed him by his arm and flipped him causing Horatio land painfully hard on his back.

Ignoring the cheers, he quickly scrambled up into a squat and used his leg to sweep Rick's out from underneath him. Horatio smirked when Rick landed on his ass with a surprised grunt on the exercise mat.

Both men were now solely focused on the sparring match and neither of them was paying any attention to their unwanted spectators. Neither of them were holding anything back and Horatio was positive that they both were going to be home to an interesting collection of bruises in the morning.

During the few seconds in which he had allowed him to become distracted, Rick had scrambled to his feet and tackled Horatio to the ground. "Ready to give up?"

"No, I'm not." He shot back, before adding in a whisper that only Rick was meant to hear. "You forgot that I grew up in New York." With that, Horatio threw his head back where it connected hard with the other man's nose. He was thankful that he didn't hear anything go crunch. The last thing that Horatio needed to have when he returned to his body was a broken nose that he himself was responsible for.

The tactic, however, worked as Rick immediately loosened his grip and the brunette was able to scramble to his feet. Horatio turned around to face 'his' body. By now, both men had worked up a sweat as they stood there glaring at each other while trying their best to catch their breath. Horatio took a step back. "Are you alright? That looked like it hurt."

Rick glared at Horatio who just smirked and waited for Rick to make the next move.

Once they had recovered suitably, Rick faked a punch with his right arm before throwing one with his left. He was taken by surprise when Horatio managed to successfully grab his left arm and spin him around using his momentum against him in order to slam him down onto the mat face first. Then, before he even had a chance to get up, Horatio had him pinned to the matt where he couldn't budge, much less, escape. There were startled gasps all around.

Horatio looked up at their audience. "Show's over, folks." Then he released his hold on Rick, stood up, and helped the other man to his feet. They were amazed that the gym emptied out just about as fast as it had filled up. Calleigh and Ryan were the only two people left, but a double glare from both men sent them rushing out the doors muttering about needing to check to see if their results were in yet.

Horatio and Rick slowly walked back to the locker room. They were both feeling every hit that they took during that sparring match. Horatio happened to glance over at the other man and was surprised to see that there was a huge grin on 'his' face. "What are you smiling for Rick? You lost, remember?"

Rick smirked. "I may have lost, but in a way I still won."

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

The smirk on his face grew bigger. "What I mean is that the sparring match was a win-win situation for me. If 'I' had won, I'd have the knowledge that I had beaten you in a fair fight even if no one else would know. If 'you' won, well, just think about how fast word will spread that not only did we spar but 'Horatio Caine' got his ass kicked by 'Rick Stetler'."

Horatio opened his mouth to respond with a 'you wish' before the truth of what Rick was saying sunk in. His mouth snapped shut with an audible click as he slowed down and glared at the redhead walking in front of him. Rick paused, realizing that Horatio was no longer following him. When he turned around, the smirk was still present. "What?"

"It's nothing."

"Believe what you want."

With that, Rick spun around and practically swaggered back into the locker room. Horatio, upon seeing that, couldn't help but glance around the gym, relieved to see that it was still empty. Narrowing his eyes, he followed the other man back into the locker room.


	8. Chapter 8

With that, Rick spun around and practically swaggered back into the locker room. Horatio, upon seeing the swagger, couldn't help but glance around the gym, relieved to see that it was still empty. Narrowing his eyes, he followed the other man back into the locker room.

"Ya know, that wasn't necessary, Rick."

The other man grinned, noticing that his accent had once again slipped out. "What do you mean 'that wasn't necessary'?"

"The swagger." Horatio growled. "I DON'T swagger."

"Oh yes you do."

"Do not." Horatio said, as he folded his arms in front of his chest.

Rick rolled his eyes. "Horatio, stop acting like a child." The look which appeared on 'his' face when he said that was enough to cause Rick to burst out laughing before promptly groaning when he snorted. "Don't glare at me. If you didn't make me laugh, then the snorting wouldn't happen."

Rick spun around and headed for the showers. There was no way that he was going to just change back into his work clothes after a heavy workout. Just before he disappeared into the shower he paused, looking over his shoulder. "I have a suggestion for our lockers, at least until we change back."

"Well share it with the rest of the class." Horatio muttered under his breath.

"We could simply change locks and no one would be the wiser. Then we could just switch back again. That way, we wouldn't have to deal with the added aggravation of learning a new combination."

"That's… that's actually a good idea."

"You'd be surprised at how often I have them." Rick called from over the sound of running water.

Horatio simply stared in his general direction with a raised eyebrow. As much as he hated to admit it, Rick had already surprised him multiple times today.

He was busy getting the items he needed for his shower when Rick emerged, drying his hair with a towel. He barely managed to sidestep out of the way as Horatio did an about face. "Horatio, watch where you're going."

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that." Horatio shot back only to duck his head when he realized what he had said. The tendency to move silently was something that he had taught himself to do at an early age. And to this day, Horatio could do so without even trying.

Rick smirked. He hadn't been trying to sneak up on the other man, but was pleased to see that he had the same reactions as other people to his ability to suddenly appear without any warning. Instead of saying anything, Rick remained silent. Horatio made it a point of purposely shoving past him on the way to the showers.

Rick quickly got dressed, ignoring the sound of running water. Once he had gotten dressed, Rick approached the mirror. He narrowed his eyes when he saw that his… no Horatio's nose was swelling slightly. "I never realized what a hard head I had." He muttered under his breath before winching as he realized what he had just said. Luckily, Horatio hadn't heard what he said. Rick knew this was the case because if the other man had, he'd have heard him laughing over the noise of the shower.

He tried to give himself the famous death glare, but he was far too amused to pull it off. Frowning, Rick knew that it would be a dead giveaway that something was off if 'he' wasn't at the very least annoyed that 'Rick' had beaten him.

Then, with a smirk, he remembered the sunglasses. "Perfect," he thought as he pulled them from his coat pocket. Carefully opening them, he held the glasses out at arm's length and slowly brought them to his face only to poke himself in the eye.

Rick frowned. That wasn't good. He looked around thankful that the locker room was still empty and that the shower was still running. "You can do this, Rick." He whispered, giving himself a little pep talk. "It can't be that difficult." It took him about three more tries before he managed to put the glasses on without hitting himself with them.

Horatio emerged from the shower and raised an eyebrow when he saw what Rick was doing. He couldn't help but wince when Rick poked himself. Horatio watched for a while longer and was relieved to see that the other man as no longer hitting himself with the sunglasses. Instead, Horatio had to bite down on his lip to keep from laughing out loud. With a smirk, he leaned against the side of the door as he continued to watch. With each attempt, Rick's arm movements were becoming even more elaborate until Horatio couldn't fight it anymore and laughed out loud.

He raised an eyebrow at the deer in the headlights look that had appeared on 'his' face. Rick's surprise quickly turned to embarrassment and was quickly followed up by a bright red blush, which rivaled his hair. As Horatio watched the blush spreading, he wrapped the towel tighter around his waist and smirked. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Rick hissed, pointedly turning his back on Horatio.

"It didn't look like 'nothing' to me." Horatio didn't even bother trying to mask the amusement in his voice.

"Just put your damn clothes on." Rick replied, folding his arms across his chest, without even bothering to turn around.

"Fine. But, honestly, what were you trying to do with my sunglasses?"

"I was practicing being you."

Horatio glared at him. "I do not do any of those fancy arm movements."

Rick smirked. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, Rick, really."

Rick waited until he heard the sound of a zipper being pulled before he turned around. Holding his arms out in front of him with the sunglasses in his right hand, he made sure that he had the other man's attention. As he put the glasses on his face, he spoke slowly. "Here we go."

Rick waited a beat before looking over at 'himself' with a raised eyebrow. "Any of that seem the least bit familiar?"

Horatio's mouth dropped open when Stetler had finished with his little impersonation. Sadly, he had to admit, albeit reluctantly, that it was indeed familiar. In the end, he settled for simply glaring at Rick.

"Please, that's a pathetic excuse for a glare. You did a much better job at it before."

"Do you want to go back to the gym for a rematch, Rick?"

"Not anytime soon, no."

"Then do me a huge favor and drop it."

Stetler paid no attention to Horatio whatsoever. He just grinned. "Well, I'll be the first to admit that you do have the bad tempered Rick, down pat."

Horatio raised an eyebrow before he flipped him off.

Rick paused, staring at the brunette for a moment before he burst out laughing again. "I've been a horrible influence on you. I've taught the great Horatio Caine some bad manners."

Horatio took a step closer to Rick, still glaring at him. "Could you please stop snorting? I don't need the entire Miami Dade Police Department knowing that I snort when I laugh."

"Then you need to stop making me laugh," Rick retorted as the blush deepened, causing Horatio to smirk.

"I'm not making you laugh."

"Yes, you are."

"Nobody is holding a gun to your head and saying laugh or die, Rick."

Unfortunately, that ended up sending Rick into another fit of laughter. Once he had caught his breath and, stopped coughing long enough that he could talk again, he turned so that he was facing the other man. "See? There you go again."

"Whatever." Horatio muttered. He didn't feel up to arguing over such a trivial thing as whether or not he was making Stetler laugh.

Horatio walked over to the bench where he the clothes he had been wearing were laid out. He winced as he reached for his shirt, his back loudly protesting the movement. It felt like it was one big bruise.

The wince didn't go unnoticed either. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, a little sore but that's to be expected. You've actually got a pretty good throw Rick."

Rick took a seat on the bench while he waited for the other man to finish getting dressed, wincing as he did so. "I hate to admit it, but you're pretty good with that leg sweep."

Both of them jerked their heads up and stared at each other in surprise. Neither could believe that they had just given each other a compliment.

They had to admit that, while they had continued to bicker like usual after their sparring match, it had lacked the usual tension. Neither of them were sure if it was because they had worked out some of their frustration or if it was because they were slowly getting used to each other.

"Maybe that sparring match was actually good for something other than making each other sore," Rick finally admitted after a few moments of silence.

"Ya think?" Horatio asked with a grin before he shook his head. "How are you able to keep this accent under control? It's starting to drive me crazy, especially when I'm not used to hearing it from you."

"Practice," Stetler answered with a smirk. "Lots and lots of practice."

Horatio's eyes narrowed when he noticed that Rick was once again giving him that sly smile of 'his' that had surprisingly managed to irritate him enough that he gave up his original plan and threw the first punch in the sparring match. "What are you up to?"

"Me?" Rick asked, pretending to be hurt. "I'm not up to anything. I was just thinking."

"Should I be worried?" He asked. Then, as an afterthought, he added "Don't strain yourself."

"You're a regular comedian, Horatio."

"You were the one that told me that I was making you laugh. What changed?"

H watched as Rick rolled 'his' eyes at him. "Seriously, what are you planning?"

"I was just thinking about what I was going to do if we haven't changed back by the time Delko and Wolfe have their next bickering session."

Horatio's eyes narrowed. "Just what exactly do you mean by that? I will not allow you to go after my team, especially when for all intents and purposes you are me." Horatio growled.

"Don't worry your sweet little head about me doing something like that. Besides, even if I had thought about it who do you think they would believe you, the despised Rick Stetler, or, their trusted boss, me?"

He refused to admit it, but the other man had made a valid point. "Then, what were you thinking?"

"So, you admit that I _can_ think?"

"Rick…" Horatio growled.

"What Horatio?" He asked, attempting to pull off an innocent look which effectively since the other man into a laughing fit.

"What?"

"That look…" Horatio managed to gasp out between bouts of laughter.

"What about that look?" Rick pressed but had to but it was a few minutes before he could answer due to the fact that he was laughing so hard.

"That innocent look so does not work on my face, especially when I know that it's you using it."

Rick rolled his eyes. "I was thinking that the next time the two of them started bickering, we send them down to the gym for a sparring match of their own." He replied with a smirk as he folded his arms across his chest and waited for Horatio's reaction.

"That… That is actually… actually a pretty good idea." It was like pulling teeth for him to speak those words.

"I told you that I have them from time to time."

"Telling and proving are two different beasts, Rick. However if you do end up sending them down for a sparring match, I want to be there to witness it," Horatio finished with a chuckle.

"Are you sure about that?"

Horatio simply tilted his head to the side and quirked an eyebrow. "I'm positive."

"Okay, I'll admit that it was a stupid question." Rick conceded with a shrug as he glanced down at the watch on his wrist.

"What is it?" Horatio asked, noticing the surprised look on 'his' face.

"Our lunch hour is almost up. If we're not back soon, then people will begin to wonder if we've killed each other."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want anyone to get that impression now would we? I've had enough of being accused of a murder that I didn't commit. The last think I need is to for it to happen again."

"Although technically it wouldn't be happening to you again now would it? After all, you beat me in the match."

"Which would technically still be me since for all intents and purposes, you are me."

"That is true." Rick agreed with a frown. "I really don't want to do this. But if you are going to get any work done whatsoever, then you will need it." He sighed as he pulled Horatio's notepad from his pocket and scribbled midnightwolf63 before tearing the sheet out and handing it to the other man.

"What is this?"

"What does it look like Horatio? Use your eyes, I know for a fact that I'm not blind as a bat."

"Bats aren't blind."

"It's just an expression Horatio." Rick sighed as he slammed his head against the locker door in frustration.

"Would you stop doing that before you end up giving me brain damage?"

"If you answer me."

"Fine, you win. At first glance, it appears to be the first part of an email address."

Rick groaned as he dragged his hands across his face. "Shit. Well can't be helped now. I honestly can't believe I did that. It was supposed to be the password to my office computer. I still can't believe how distracting you can be, even though you're in my body now."

"Distracting?"

"What is?"

"You just said that I was distracting."

"Never mind," Stetler said as he gave his head a small shake. "Everything is password protected."

Horatio growled at the fact that his question had been completely ignored. "Just wait on that. Maybe we'll have changed back to normal by the time morning gets here."

"Then, what are you going to be doing for the rest of the day? In your case, I can easily spend the rest of the day working on your paperwork and still have plenty to do." Rick grinned. "I, on the other hand, have all my paperwork completed with the exception of any still open cases or any new cases that might warrant being looked into."

Horatio caught on to what Rick was hinting at rather quickly. "Are we talking about a certain justice of the peace?"

"No, we're just talking about work, but if you don't want the password…"

"Now, I didn't say that."

Rick smirked. "Here," he replied after jotting a few more words down on the paper. "I even finished the email address. Do not, I repeat, do not give that out to anyone. I already had to get a new email address after someone leaked my old one out to the department." He growled.

Horatio winced. "Hate mail?"

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Do you have any idea who it was?"

"I know for a fact who the culprit is." Rick snarled, before noticing the concerned look on the other man's face. Horatio opened his mouth to ask Rick who it was when the other man spoke up.

"No, I'm not going to tell you who it is for the simple reason you don't need to know. That person is no longer around so it's irrelevant anyway." Rick explained in hopes that the other man wouldn't press the issue.

"Well, you should thank whoever it was because they just helped you to master the glare." Horatio informed him with a small smile before tossing his bag into 'Rick's' locker and handing the other man his lock.

With one last glance at his reflection in the mirror, Rick gave his head a small shake still not used to seeing the redhead's reflection in place of his own. He then handed the lock over to the other man as he snapped his own back in place. With a brief nod, Horatio started to walk past rick.

"Horatio?"

"What is it?"

Rick gave him a sad smile. "You might want to swagger a little more."

"Why?" He asked, frowning, genuinely confused.

"Well, because you just kicked 'my' ass. It's to be expected."

"Are you sure about that Rick?"

"Trust me. IF this had happened _before_, I know I would have. Now…" He shrugged. "I honestly don't know how I would've reacted if I had won."

Horatio raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He knew exactly what Rick was and was not saying. Stetler was right. IF they had sparred before whatever the hell it was that happened, happened; he knew that more than likely he would have been wearing his sunglasses and sporting a pleased little smirk on his face.

This time, when Horatio strode the other man said nothing. Instead, Rick waited until he was just about to push open the door before he called out one last suggestion. "You need little more smugness." Horatio's response was a loud laugh that echoed in the locker room.


	9. Chapter 9

Rick allowed himself a brief smile. It wasn't long before his thoughts returned to the time when his private email address had been leaked. As he thought about that, his lips pressed into a thin line. He knew without a doubt that if Horatio had learned that it had, in fact, been Yelina who was the culprit the small amount of progress they had made would have disappeared in an instant.

In fact, it was probably a good thing that the woman was in another country. There was no doubt in his mind that she'd find new ways to make his life even worse. Asking her out had been the biggest mistake of his life.

With one last glance in the mirror, Rick adjusted the sunglasses before shoving his hands into his pockets where he exited the locker room and stalked towards the elevator. He used the short ride to think. There was an unfamiliar nagging feeling at the pit of his stomach that had appeared when he first thought about Yelina and it hadn't gone away. If anything, it was getting stronger. He had the feeling that something was about to happen and while he didn't know what it was, there was one thing Rick was certain about. It wasn't going to be anything good.

The elevator slowed to a stop. A few seconds later the elevator doors slid open, revealing the Crime Lab. As soon as he stepped off the elevator his attention was torn in two different directions. The first thing that he noticed was Frank Tripp on his cell phone talking in a low voice. Frank looked up guiltily when he saw the redhead emerge from the lift. However, before he could determine what Tripp was up to, his attention was quickly diverted to the other end of the hall where he head the sounds of two familiar voices arguing. "Don't those two ever quit?" He muttered to himself.

Rick, just barely resisting the urge to slam his head into the nearest wall, pinched the bridge of his nose instead and turned towards the sound of the commotion. Sure enough, Eric Delko and Ryan Wolfe were arguing with each other yet again. Spotting Calleigh, he watched as she said something that went ignored by both men before she threw her hands up in the air and then placed her hands on her hips and glaring at her co-workers.

He moved quickly, silently, coming to a stop behind Calleigh. "What's going on?" Rick inquired. The blonde jumped, before she turned around to face Rick. "Sorry," he said, giving her a small smile. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Calleigh rolled her eyes. "No worries, H. You'd think I'd be used to it by now." She took a deep breath and let it out with an exasperated sigh as she tried to collect herself. "As for what's going on, they're at it again. Eric, upon returning to the lab, asked us what all he had missed while he was out. Of course, Ryan told him that the two of you had had a match. To which Eric so eloquently said 'huh?'. So I told him that the two of you sparred."

She winced when upon mentioning the match which resulted in Rick having to fight to keep a straight face. Calleigh took a deep breath before continuing. "Of course the next thing that Eric asked was who won. When Ryan told him, Eric accused him of lying. What you see before you is the result."

"Why didn't you say something?"

"Believe me when I say that I've tried. You know it's not my problem if the two of them refuse to notice much less listen to anyone when they get into one of their blasted arguments. They're about as bad as you and Rick. No offense." She added with a grimace upon realizing exactly what she had said and to whom.

"None taken." Rick replied with a grin. Once he had successfully schooled his features, he took a deep breath. He then stepped closer to the bickering men and let loose a loud, shrill, whistle that effectively silenced not only Wolfe and Delko but the rest of the crime lab as well. There were a few moments of welcomed silence before the majority of the lab returned to whatever it was that they had been doing.

"Enough," he said in that low, calm tone of Horatio's, "the gym. Now. By the time I get there you both had better be in your workout clothes. This ridiculous fighting has gone on for way long enough. Calleigh?" Rick said, turning to face the ballistics expert with a grin on his face from seeing the identical 'oh shit, what have we done?' expressions on their faces.

"Yes, Horatio?"

"Calleigh, I want you to escort both Eric and Mr. Wolfe down to the gym and make sure that neither of them runs off."

"My pleasure." She replied with a grin.

Rick chuckled softly to himself as he watched the blonde walk right up to her taller teammates and began pushing them towards the elevator. He then quickly pulled out his cell, and sent Horatio a quick text consisting of only two words. GYM NOW.

He then turned around, hoping that he could have a chat with Tripp about what he had been up to. However, the Texan was nowhere to be found. The nagging feeling at the pit of his stomach was back as well. Rick frowned, before he walked back over to the elevators and stepped into it once the doors had opened as he headed back down to the gym.

When he arrived back at the gym, the sight that greeted him was enough to make him grin. Calleigh was standing in front of the locker room, arms folded across her chest, glaring at the door, and tapping her foot against the ground.

When he heard the metal bang of the door swinging open and slamming shut behind him, Rick knew without a doubt who it was. He didn't have to turn around. Calleigh pushed the locker room door open and called out. "Time's up. Either the two of you are coming out, or I'm coming in."

"Calleigh, we're almost done. Do not come in here!"

"The two of you need to hurry it up." Rick called out.

The blonde grinned. "See?" She called out, before letting the door swing shut. When she turned around her grin instantly faded. She blinked when she saw both Rick and Horatio standing there.

Before she could say anything, the door swung open and Eric stormed out with Wolfe hot on his heels. When they came to a stop beside Calleigh, they glanced up spotting both men. Delko turned around and stared at Rick. "What the hell, are you doing here Stetler?" Eric asked glaring at Horatio before looking over at Rick. "H?"

"Eric, I thought that it would take less time if we cleared up the main reason behind this latest argument of yours. The fastest way to do that is for Rick to be here." The redhead explained, glancing over to his left at Horatio.

"Which is?" Eric pressed, not taking his eyes off of Horatio.

"I don't trust him." Ryan added

"Like that's a surprise." Horatio mumbled under his breath, earning himself a glare from Calleigh as well as Wolfe.

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose. If he wasn't careful there was going to be another fight. He counted to ten slowly before he looked up at 'his' team. "Yes, Rick and I did have a sparring match today, no thanks to the two of you." He said, looking pointedly at Calleigh and Ryan.

"See? I told you."

"So what, Wolfe? I still don't think that Horatio lost to _him_." Eric retaliated, with a jerk of his head towards the brunette.

"Well, I did." Rick admitted.

Eric blinked, sending Ryan one last glare before he jerked his head in Rick's direction. "What did you say Horatio?"

"He said that he did, in fact, lose to me."

"I didn't ask you, Stetler.

"Enough, Eric." Rick whispered, cutting Horatio off. It was also enough to shut Delko up.

Four pairs of eyes turned their focus to Rick. Three blinked in confusion, and one in pure surprise.

"What?"

"I want the three of you to treat the Sergeant with more respect."

"You can't be serious Horatio."

"I am Eric." Rick stated struggling to keep the growl out of his voice. "We're all on the same side as far as the law is concerned. He's just doing his job like we're doing ours." Calleigh and Ryan exchanged looks as Eric just stared at them.

Eric slowly approached Rick. "He's an ass, Horatio. We all know that."

"Here is a new rule, Eric. Unless _Rick_ is being an ass to you, there is no need to be an ass to him. After the match, we learned a few things about each other."

When Horatio quirked an eyebrow at Rick, silently questioning him, he simply gave him that sly smile. The brunette barely tilted his head, acknowledging that he had gotten the message.

Horatio was surprised. He knew that his team didn't care for Stetler, but he never expected them to be as rude to his face as they were being. Of _course_, he thought to himself, wincing. He might have been partly responsible for that, given how he and Rick treated each other in the past.

"So why did you want us down here in our workout clothes?" Wolfe asked, trying to change the subject.

Horatio coughed, muttering under his breath. "I can't believe he just asked that."

Rick was the only one that had actually heard what Horatio had said. Despite the fact that they actually agreed on something, the redhead just shot the other man a look. "Rick."

Horatio just raised an eyebrow at Rick but kept silent.

Rick cleared his throat in an attempt to not burst out laughing. The last thing that he needed was for Horatio to be mad at him _again_, and for the team to find out something as embarrassing as what happens when he laughed. He didn't want to endure the teasing for however long they remained in this situation.

"As I was about to say before _I_ was interrupted," the redhead said as he glanced at the three members of Horatio's team, "that despite the fact that we're both going to be feeling the effects of that match for a while to come. It actually was beneficial."

Rick was struggling to maintain a neutral expression at the dumbfounded looks on the Horatio's team's faces. It also didn't help matters much that he had heard Horatio mutter in a voice that was low enough that only Rick heard, "agreed".

"And that means?"

"For crying out loud, Eric." Calleigh exclaimed as she smacked both of her companions on the back of their shoulders. "They think it would be a good idea for the two of you two spar. Honestly, can the two of you really be that dense?"

"He wants us to do WHAT?" The two men exclaimed at the same time.

Horatio saw that Rick was really struggling not to laugh at 'his' team's behavior. It was also clear to him that he was losing the battle as well. Since he was standing beside him, he decided to help Rick win his internal battle by pinching him as hard as he could. Surprisingly, it went unnoticed by the team. It may have earned him a glare, but it helped to keep Rick from laughing.

Rick and Horatio both sighed earning them three puzzled looks. Rick cleared his throat. "Calleigh is right. I want the two of you to have a sparring session and work out some of that excess energy. Who knows, if nothing else, the two of you might actually managed to work out enough of the tension that the two of you might possibly be able to carry out a civil conversation with each other for once."

Horatio and Rick, along with Calleigh watched as Eric and Ryan just stood there glaring at each other. It got to the point that the blonde just rolled her eyes. "Guys, that's not a sparring session. That's a staring contest and neither of you can compete with Horatio."

When they just turned the direction of their glare onto her, the ballistics expert just smirked. She wasn't the least bit bothered by it. "Don't you two glare at me. If you don't get on that mat and start sparring soon, I'll drag you over there myself and show you both how it's supposed to be done."

Eric and Ryan both gulped. They knew that Calleigh wasn't playing. She didn't make threats, she made promises.

While Calleigh was focusing her attention on her coworkers, Rick and Horatio retreated a little ways so that they could talk but still keep an eye on the sparring match whenever if finally began.

"I was thinking…" Rick started before he glanced over at Horatio. He paused, before shooting the other man a look over the top of his sunglasses. "I know what you're thinking and don't you dare say it."

Horatio just smirked. "I wasn't going to say anything."

"Yeah, right."

The brunette just stared at Rick, waiting for him to continue. When it became evident that he wasn't going to say anything, Horatio sighed. "Well, don't keep me in suspense. What were you thinking about?"

A loud thud following by cursing drew their attention back to the exercise mat. They looked over in time to see Ryan climbing to his feet, rubbing his jaw and glaring daggers at Delko.

"Come on Ryan, I know that you can do better than that."

Eric glanced over at Calleigh. "Just whose side are you on, anyway?"

"Neither. Both. Take your pick." She replied, before wincing as Wolfe tackled Delko to the ground. Wolfe's triumphant smile didn't last very long as Eric easily flipped him over and smirked.

"Nice try, Wolfe. Are you ready to give up?"

"Not hardly." Ryan replied as he scrambled backwards, easily escaping the taller man's grasp.

"How did you?" Eric asked, surprised. That was the quickest anyone had ever worked themselves out of a hold once he had pinned them.

They began to circle each other as Ryan gave him a short answer. "Practice."

"What do you mean by practice?" Delko pushed, not only dodging a punch but landing one of his own although it wasn't where he had been aiming.

"High school. The jocks liked to pick on the smart one…"

Horatio cleared his throat, so as to get Rick's attention but not the team's without being too obvious. "Anyways, you were saying?"

Rick turned so that he was facing Horatio. He was right. It wasn't getting any easier to look at the other man and see himself. "I was saying that I was thinking it might be a good idea for the two of us to go back to that restaurant tonight after our shifts. What do you think?"

"I hate to say it-" Before he could finish his sentence, Rick had interrupted him.

"Then don't. But maybe you should. Something tells me, I'd like to hear you say whatever it is."

"Can it, Rick." Horatio turned around to face 'himself' and wasn't the least bit surprised that he was smirking. "As I was saying, I hate to admit it but that was a pretty good idea actually. I'll meet you there after work?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Rick agreed, with a quick nod of his head. He wasn't sure why, but he had been thinking about offering Horatio a ride. It was an idea that he had quickly talked himself out of due to how it would look. If they did and any of their coworkers saw them, they'd assume that apocalypse was upon them. He chuckled lightly at that.

"What are you chuckling about?"

"Nothing important. It was just a random thought that passed through my mind." He replied, hoping that it was enough to quench the other man's natural curiosity. Luckily, for him it worked.

The two men returned their attention to the exercise mat in time to see Wolfe hit the ground hard as Eric maneuvered himself around to pin him. This time, no matter how much Ryan struggled and wiggled, he was unable to get free. He finally stopped struggling, signaling that he recognized that he had lost. When Eric let him up, Wolfe quickly climbed to his feet. It was obvious to everyone that they were both going to be black and blue before the night was over with.

Calleigh walked up to Eric and Ryan as soon as they were off of the exercise mat. "Eric, you go on ahead. Ryan will catch up in a few minutes. Nice work." She added with a smile as she gave her friend a wave.

"You always take his side," Ryan grumbled.

Eric nodded, and when Ryan started to follow him, Calleigh grabbed him by the shorts. "Oh no you don't." Then when she realized where she had grabbed her friend, she blushed. "Oops. Sorry, meant to grab you by the back of your shirt."

He sighed in defeat. "What do you want Cal?"

"I just wanted to let you know that we and you are going to be spending a couple nights a week here in the gym working on your sparring skills. Honestly, Ryan, you need help. I know that you can be a much better opponent than you just were."

He blinked. She couldn't be serious. "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not." She replied with a smirk at the look that appeared on her co-worker's face. "We begin on Monday."


	10. Chapter 10

xXxXx

Horatio had arrived at the restaurant first. The brunette wasn't the least bit surprised that he had beaten Rick there. He didn't have anyone wanting a moment of his time before he left. In fact it wasn't as freeing as he thought it might be. The same people that had always smiled as they approached him now glared and went out of their way to avoid him. Rather than going inside the China Surprise, he chose to sit inside Rick's car and wait for the other man to show up.

While he was waiting, Horatio thought back to the events that had occurred earlier.

xXxXx

Horatio had just stepped off the elevator, on his way back to Rick's office after the sparring match, when he saw the Three Stooges waiting for him. He smirked as he stepped out into the main hall, looked straight at them, and gave them a small smile and tilted his head as he met Rat's gaze. The three men frowned as they realized that he must have won and they weren't going to have an easy time goading Rick if that was the case so they retreated. Horatio knew that the reprieve wouldn't last long. The brunette's eyes narrowed as he watched them walk off.

He had just started to turn to enter his office when he heard someone singing "_So tell me why haven't I heard from you"_ blaring from his pocket. Pulling out the phone, Horatio glanced at it and saw that he had a text message from Rick. After reading it, he sighed before backtracking to the elevator and pushed the down button. Horatio had to admit that he wasn't surprised that he was returning to the gym as he waited for it to arrive.

Horatio chuckled to himself as he recalled the look on Eric and Ryan's face when they found out they were going to have to spar. He glanced out the car window but he still didn't see his Hummer. Leaning back, his mind replayed some of the comments that he had heard while returning to his… no, Rick's office for the second time after lunch.

He had overheard a couple of patrol officers discussing the match. Horatio had fought the urge to growl when the first stated both very loudly and very clearly that "Rick must have cheated". He couldn't help, nor did he try to hide, the smirk that formed when the other man shook his head no. "I was there. Stetler won it fair and square as much as I hate to admit it." Throughout the day, he had heard many similar conversations.

Rose had looked up when she heard the outer door open. Her eyes slowly took in Horatio's appearance, and she gave her head a small shake as she frowned. However, Rose did not give him a lecture. Instead, she only said one sentence. "I hope the two of you finally got it out of your systems." He had quirked an eyebrow at that. Somehow, Horatio knew that he'd hear what she really thought about the subject if he wasn't careful.

xXxXx

Rick pulled the Hummer into the China Surprise's parking lot. It had taken him forever and a day to get out of the crime lab. Stetler shook his head. It had seemed that every time he turned around, someone else wanted only a moment of his time. Pretty soon all of those minutes added up, and he was fifteen minutes late clocking out for the day.

Rick hopped out of the Hummer before he locked and closed the doors. It didn't take him long to walk the three spaces over to where his electric blue Ford Focus was parked. He stopped by the driver's side door, placed his hands on his hips, and tilted his head. It was only after Rick had stood there a couple of moments that he realized that the other man was completely lost in thought.

He stood there for a few more seconds wondering if Horatio was going to notice him. When Rick came to the conclusion that he wasn't going to, rapped his knuckles against the glass. When Horatio jumped and swung his head around wildly, Rick couldn't help but chuckle. He was amused and he would gladly admit it.

He ignored the glare Horatio sent him and stepped back to allow the other man enough room to get out. "What was that for?"

"I was just trying to let you know that I was here. I've been standing here in front of the window for…" Rick paused to look at his watch. "…for the last few seconds and you were just sitting there and staring off into space."

"I was thinking."

"What is it that has you thinking so hard that _you_ aren't aware of your surroundings?"

Horatio heard the stress Rick had put on _you_ but decided to ignore commenting on it. "I was just thinking about something that I overheard."

"Let me just take a wild guess and say that someone had heard that you beat 'me' in the sparring match and they thought you had cheated."

"How did you-"

"-Horatio, it's sad to say, but that is nothing new for me. If I make an honest bust, I'm framing some poor bastard. If something good happens, I must have cheated or bribed or blackmailed someone in order for it to happen. Whenever 'you' get the upper hand, it's justice served."

"Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Because, I've found that it's usually better in the long run if I ignore it. If I don't rise to the bait, then they quickly lose the fun they get out of it. For some reason, though, you were the only person that could get me riled up enough that I lost all common sense when it came to things like that."

At that, Horatio smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Rick shrugged. "Take it however you want. I do have one question for you."

"What's that?"

"How do you manage to normally clock out on time? I tried to leave and ended up fifteen minutes late."

"Because people kept wanting just a minute of your time?"

"Exactly."

"That's one thing I didn't miss today. Usually I start to leave around ten minutes early, sometimes even earlier if it was a particularly busy day."

"Sounds reasonable." Rick agreed, with a nod of his head. Then, he smiled. "So, are we going to stand out here in the parking lot all night, or are we going to go inside?"

"If that's the case, are you sure that you want to be seen in public with the guy that, as you so eloquently put it, 'kicked your ass'?"

"Honestly, I don't care. People are going to think whatever they want and nothing you or I do will ever change that."

"I disagree, Rick. People can change if you give them the chance."

The redhead looked over at Horatio. "Are if they're forced to change bodies?"

"I…"

"Horatio, I've just learned to let things roll off my back because if I didn't, things wouldn't be pretty. Now, I'll understand if you don't want to be seen with me. If that's the case, we can go in separately."

"I didn't say that." Horatio snapped.

"Well then, come on. I'm getting hungry." Rick said with a laugh, turning around and heading for the entrance to the restaurant. It only took a couple of strides for Horatio to catch up to him.

Upon entering, they were greeted by the same waitress that had waited on them the previous night, Nahia. Both men looked at each other with raised eyebrows. She smiled at the sight of the two men standing before her as she grabbed a pair of menus and led them towards the back. Horatio and Rick shared puzzled look as she led them past several empty tables and booths until they came across a smaller side room in the very back of the restaurant that was empty.

Once they were seated at their table, Nahia quickly disappeared before they could ask her any questions. The two men looked around but said nothing as they waited for her to return. Luckily, it wasn't a long wait.

"What can I get for you gentlemen?"

"How about some answers?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"There's been a… a situation. The only common denominator between both of the cases is that both participants ate at this place and received a very strange fortune cookie." Rick added, successfully maintaining a straight face.

"Oh!" Their waitress replied with a knowing smile, as she looked at each of her customers in turn. "Since neither of you are complaining about a blank fortune, one or both of you must have made a heartfelt wish."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Both men asked in unison.

There was a brief pause before Horatio added another question of his own. "How did you know? All that was mentioned was both participants had eaten here."

"And 'received a very strange fortune cookie'." She added with a smile causing Rick to smirk at Horatio's reaction.

"You two are such a cute couple." That wiped the smirk off Rick's face as they whipped their heads around to stare at Nahia with surprised looks on their faces. Before either of them could inform the woman that she was sadly mistaken, the waitress started talking once more.

"There is a secret passed down among the women in my family that makes our fortune cookies special. And no, I'm not going to tell you what that is. However, if someone makes a heartfelt wish and then opens one of the special cookies anytime afterwards on that day…"

"What happens?"

"If a fortune appears, it usually has something to do with the wish or in this case, is it wishes?

Both men thought about the events of the previous night and both of their eyes widened. "Shit." Both of them muttered at the same time.

Nahia frowned. "What happened?"

"Somehow," Rick started, sneaking a glance over at Horatio.

"We ended up switching bodies. Can you please tell us if you have any idea on how we can get back to normal?"

"I don't know about you Horatio, but quite frankly I'm finding that it is a little weird to be sitting across from my own body."

"Agreed."

"That…" She began, before taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. "That is not something that I have ever heard of happening. Not even in any of my family's stories either."

"What?" Rick exclaimed, practically shouting, as Horatio shot him a look.

"My theory is that once the wish is fulfilled, then the two of you will be changed back. Of course, it could take a day, a week, a month, a year for it to happen. OF course there is also the possibility that it could take even longer. So," she replied with a smile as she clapped her hands together. "Who's ready to eat?"

Rick, who had just taken a sip of water from his glass when Nahia had spoken that line about how long it could take, choked and ended up spraying Horatio in the face.

"Thanks Rick." He retorted sarcastically as he reached for his napkin to dry his face off.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry, but I don't think that I heard you correctly. Could you please repeat that?"

"I said that it might take a day, a week, a month, a year, or even longer. There is nothing to do but let the wish run its course." She paused as she looked between each of the men. "It might also be best to be careful about wishing for something in the future if it's something you feel strongly about. The magic can be unpredictable at the best of times."

Horatio blinked, stunned into silence. Rick on the other hand, slammed his head down on the table, wincing when he hit his already sore nose in the process.

"Rick?" Horatio said in a mildly exasperated voice.

"What is it Horatio?" He mumbled, his voice muffled.

"Could you please stop slamming my head on the table? What are you going to tell Alexx when she asks you about how you got those bruises? And, by those bruises, I don't mean the ones you received in our sparring match."

Rick noticed that the waitress was still standing there, looking very amused. He gave his head a small shake. "We'll both have the buffet." He replied, before handing her his menu as Horatio did the same. Nahia nodded, taking the menus and disappeared.

"The same could be said, when Rose questions you about that bruise on the side of your head."

"I've already told her that I hit my head on the car." Horatio countered, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Rick asked as he looked around.

"Nice way for you to avoid answering my question with a question Rick."

"I learned that from you." He said with a smile. "Seriously, I wasn't avoiding answering your question. I just didn't want to answer it when we had company." Rick retorted, rolling his eyes.

"And that would be?"

"That the desk attacked me and it won."

Horatio just stared at him. "Excuse me, but does that honestly work?"

"No, but it does make her smile and, on occasion chuckle." Rick sighed. He paused as Nahia returned with their plates.

"Can I get you gentlemen anything else?"

Horatio grinned. "No, thank you. We're good. Well… there is actually one thing."

"What is it?"

"No more fortune cookies, please."

Rick snorted at that, earning him another glare from Horatio. He simply smirked. "I agree. No more fortune cookies for me either."

"Okay," Nahia agreed, chuckling as she gave her customers the privacy that they seemed to be wanting.

"Should I be worried that we're agreeing on more things than not lately?" Horatio asked as soon as they were alone.

"Before this, I'd have said that it was a sign that the world was coming to an end. Now…" He shrugged, letting his voice drift off.

"Now, it's as if someone has flipped a switch in more ways than one."

The redhead shrugged, before getting up abruptly. Horatio watched him as Rick made his way over to where the buffet tables were set up. With a sigh, he stood up before making the same trip himself.

Stetler had to get away as he was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the turn their conversation had taken. As much as he hated being treated like yesterday's garbage, it was familiar to him. What he wasn't used to was people being nice, and actually seeming to care about him. He had managed to get though the day by reminding himself that they thought that they were dealing with Horatio. He smiled to himself as he thought about Rose. It had taken him over a month, and several lectures to boot, before he believed that she was actually being sincere when she had told him that he was now under her wing.

"You're not used to having people actually treating you nice are you Rick?"

He jumped upon hearing the voice, not knowing that Horatio was anywhere close. Rick had thought that the other man was still sitting at their table and not appearing out of thin air behind him. "How the heck can you move so silently in my body?" He asked, trying to steer the conversation away from where it was headed while trying to get his heart rate under control.

Horatio raised an eyebrow but, decided to let the subject drop, after he let Rick know that he wasn't fooling him. "I know what you're doing." He whispered, not at all surprised by the guilty look that briefly flashed across his face.

Suddenly, Rick lost his appetite. He half-heartedly filled up his place and returned to their table. Stetler knew that the other man was just as stubborn as he was. Rick also knew that Caine wasn't going to simply let the subject drop. He'd wait a while and just when you thought he had forgotten, it would be brought up again.

Rick was surprised that when Horatio had returned, he seemed to be just moving the food around his plate rather than eating it. It was almost as if he was thinking about something unpleasant and it was something that Caine definitely wasn't looking forward to. That caused him to raise an eyebrow. "What?" He pressed, leaning forwards in his chair.

"What do you mean by what?"

"You've been thinking hard about something."

Horatio glanced up, caught his eye, before he shifted his gaze back down to the floor. Stetler blinked. This was a first. In all the time that he had known Horatio, he could not remember a single instance in which the older man had ever looked unsure of himself. Rick fought long and hard, but successfully resisted the urge to make a comment. It was something that he wouldn't have thought twice about doing before. Instead, he remained silent as he waited. He knew that the silence would do more about getting the other man to talk than him pressing Horatio for answers would.

Sure enough, Horatio took a long sip of his water. It didn't help much but, on the positive side, his throat was no longer dry. "I was thinking about something."

"What is it?"

"Look, before you automatically say no, just hear me out. If I didn't feel that it was necessary, I wouldn't suggest this."

Rick pressed his lips together in a tight smile, but said nothing. That particular phrase almost never boded well. Instead of saying something that more than likely would be taken, not only the wrong way but also, out of context, he chose to remain silent. Rick motioned for the other man to continue with a flick of his hand.

Out of a habit that was beginning to form whenever they started to talk about their current predicament, Horatio glanced around the room and was relieved to see that they were still very much alone. The last thing that they needed was for someone to overhear and then lock both of them up in a psych ward.

"Since there is no telling how long we are going to be stuck like this," he said, motioning at himself, Horatio glanced up and met Rick's gaze as his voice drifted off.

"Go on."

"As I was saying, since we have no idea how long we're going to be stuck like this, it would be best if we have a serious talk."

Rick swallowed, unsure of what Horatio was talking about but knowing it couldn't be good. He decided to ask even though he wasn't sure he would like the answer. "When… when you say serious talk, what is it that you mean exactly?"

"It would probably be best if we filled each other in about our pasts, within reason…"

"What? Hell NO! Have you lost your mind Horatio?"

"NO, I haven't." He snapped, before taking a deep breath. The last thing that they needed was to have one of their normal fights.

"Then what in the world possessed you to think that THAT was a good idea?"

"Look, I don't like it anymore than you do. But the fact of the matter is that it has to be done. What happens if someone asks you a question that 'I' should know and yet you can't answer it? Besides, the truth of the matter is that you probably have some idea about what I went through if you actually took the time to take a good look."

That pretty much shut up just about any objection that Rick might have had as his mind unwilling brought up the images of the scarring that Horatio had on his left thigh. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. _Suck it up, Rick_. He mentally ordered himself.

Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. Rick couldn't believe what he was about to say and he knew that it was going to take the other man by surprise as well. "You're right. I wasn't thinking."

Horatio bit back the retort of "What else is new?" knowing that it wouldn't help matters any. Instead, he quirked an eyebrow before he lifted his head to better observe Rick.

"So, what is it exactly that you are suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting that when we leave here, we go to one of our places and have a serious discussion."

"Are you sure that we need to do this?" He tried once more time, but Horatio had been expecting this.

"Look Rick, I know it's not something that either one of us wants to do, but it has to be done. Who knows, maybe it might shed a little light on why we are the way that we are."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Rick muttered to himself as he dragged his hand down his face. As much as he wanted to give in to the urge to fight and give excuse after excuse why it wasn't a good idea, he knew that the other man had made a very good point. He sighed. "I guess that it's a good thing it is the weekend."

Horatio found himself nodding along in agreement. When he realized what he was doing, he gave Rick a small smile. "Are we positive that the world isn't ending?"

Rick shrugged. "Hang on, I'll go check." With that, he made it a point of getting up and walking towards the window that it was all Horatio could do not to laugh. When he finally returned to his seat, Rick plopped himself down.

"What did you discover?"

"I'm positive that the world is not ending, or at least it isn't right now anyways. It's still a nice, sunny, normal Miami day fading into night. It's not snowing or raining fire or anything like that."

Horatio tried not to, but he soon found himself laughing at the other man's antics.

Rick smirked. It was somewhat satisfying that he could make Horatio Caine laugh. Lord knows, the other man had been cracking him up constantly today. "As much as I don't want to admit it, but 'my' place would probably be best. Very few people know where I live and there's not a snowball's chance that anyone might possibly show up for a visit."

"That reminds me of one very important question that I've been meaning to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Why do you choose to live out in the middle of nowhere?"

"I've always liked living in the country though there are some downsides, but it has its advantages as well."

"What could possibly be the advantages?"

"No constant traffic as well as almost guaranteed privacy. No one around for miles to get on your nerves… I could go on but you get my point."

"What about disadvantages besides the fact that there is nobody around for miles if you need help?"

Rick rolled his eyes. "It's not that bad Horatio. The biggest one is the travel time it takes but overall the advantages outweigh the disadvantages."

"The noise helps me to sleep." Horatio said softly. It was only after he had spoken that Horatio had realized it was true.

Rick frowned as he remembered something. "Horatio, did you by any chance, happen to feed my fish this morning?"

"Fish?"

"Guess that answered my question." He sighed. "Horatio, you know how you have Richie?"

"Yeah, but what in the world does that have to do with fish?"

Rick laughed at that. "Horatio, I never thought that I'd say this, but the fact that you are so clueless right now is unbelievably hilarious."

Horatio growled at him causing Rick to laugh even harder. "Fine." He replied as soon as he caught his breath. "You win, I'll explain it. I don't have a dog or a cat. I just have an aquarium of fish. A _fifty-five_ gallon aquarium. Just curious but how can someone as observant as you miss something as big as that?"

"Rick?"

"Yes, Horatio?"

"Would you have noticed it if you had woken up first, not only in someone else's house but their body as well?"

"Well, when you put it that way." Rick replied, wincing. "Point taken." He glanced down at his half empty plate. "I'm not sure about you, but I'm not hungry anymore."

"Same here."

With a nod, Horatio and Rick both stood up. They both reached for the bill, but Rick snagged it first. "Don't worry, I'll pay for both."

"I can pay for mine."

"Don't worry, I'll get them both."

With a smirk, Horatio reached over and plucked the bill out of Rick's hands. Then, using his longer strides, he beat the other man to the cash register. By the time Rick had managed to catch up with him, the other man had already paid for both of their meals. Horatio just smirked, ignoring the glare that Rick was giving him.

He waited until they had both exited the restaurant before turning to face him. "What?"

"I honestly can't believe you just did that."

"Why not?" Horatio asked, as they walked over to where they had parked their vehicles.

"It was my idea, so I should have been the one to pay the bill."

Horatio smirked. "Well, if you want to get technical about it, you _were_ the one who paid the bill."

Rick opened his mouth once before closing it. He wasn't going to admit it, but the other man had made an interesting argument. "That's not the point I'm trying to make, and you know it."

Horatio shrugged. "Maybe I'll just let you pay next time."

Rick stopped dead in his tracks as he watched Horatio take a few more steps before the other man realized that he was no longer keeping up with him.

"What did you stop for?" He asked, turning around to face Rick. He was a little surprised when he realized that it was the first time he hadn't thought 'Rick' and not 'his body'.

"Stop joking. It's not the least bit funny."

Horatio frowned. "I wasn't joking. Why would you think that I was?"

"You're kidding right? Before this happened, would you have made that offer?"

"No, but…"

"Don't give me any buts. You see where I'm coming from."

"Is that why you thought I was joking?"

"That, as well as the fact that I find it surprising that you might think that there will actually be a next time."

"Rick, once someone actually takes the time to see past that asshole exterior that you present to the world at large, you really aren't that bad to be around."

"Thanks, I think."

"That was supposed to be a compliment."

"With you, it's hard to tell." Rick replied with a smirk. "So how come it took you this long to figure that out?"

"It's not my fault that you're really good at being an ass." Horatio retorted as they came to a stop halfway between the Hummer and the Focus.

"Here I thought it was because you were beginning to care."

Rick's comment caused the other man to roll his eyes in response. "Fine." He muttered, throwing his arms up in the air. "You win. This whole situation has caused me to change how I look at things."

It took a few moments, before Rick was able to respond. When he did, his first reaction was to smirk. "Finally."

"I'm glad that you're enjoying this, because that makes one of us."

"Oh come on Horatio, lighten up. I'll admit that it's a nice feeling to experience not being treating like yesterday's garbage. But then again, when you get technical, they're being nice to you, not me. Although…" Rick let his voice drift off.

"Although what?"

"Are you really going to make me say it?"

"After you successfully getting me to admit what I did?" Horatio smirked as he placed his hands on his hips and tilted his head at Rick. "Hell, yes I am going to make you say it."

"Aw come on, H." Rick replied before freezing. He didn't mean to call Horatio by his nickname, and judging by the other man's surprised reaction he wasn't expecting to be called that either.

"Sorry, it slipped out." Rick said, looking everywhere but at Horatio.

"Don't be. It took me by surprise." Horatio replied truthfully.

"It won't happen again. I promise."

"What if I don't have any objections to you calling me that?" Horatio had surprised himself when he had told Rick he hadn't minded but, the more he thought about it the more he realized that it was true.

"Because it's disrespectful," Rick answered truthfully.

"I honestly don't mind. Now, before we got sidetracked, what was it that you had been about to say?"

"Damn." Rick muttered. "I was hoping that you had forgotten about it."

Horatio laughed at that. "Not likely, Rick. I may be old but I'm not senile." He paused briefly before he started laughing even harder.

"What is it?" Rick asked, genuinely curious about what had amused Horatio so much.

"I just realized something." He replied with a smirk.

"Well, what is it?"

"You're technically older than me now."

Rick buried his head in his hands. "I had to ask."

"You said it, not me."

"That is true. And, since I know that you aren't going to drop it. You actually do accomplish more in a day than I thought you did. But don't get used to me saying that."

"As long as you don't get used to me complimenting you, then you have yourself a deal."

"Who'd have thought?" Rick muttered under his breath as he walked over to where the Hummer was parked. That was one thing that he was going to miss when he changed back. It was easy to get used to the amount of leg and head room he had in the larger vehicle. Then, with a grin, he looked over at Horatio. He was kind enough to wait till the other man had folded himself inside the car before he spoke. "Horatio?"

"What is it Rick?"

"Don't get lost." Rick replied with a smirk.

Horatio glared at the other man before flipping him off and slamming the car door shut as hard as he could. This in turn, earned him a glare from Rick who rolled down his window. The other man had caught what he was doing and rolled down his window as well. However, before Rick could mention anything along the lines of taking better care of his car, Horatio smirked.

"Don't get distracted. I'd hate for you to FORGET where you were going."

Rick glared at him, before smirking. Horatio watched from the smaller car where Rick pulled 'his' sunglasses out, put them on, and with a wave and a smirk, pulled the Hummer out of the parking lot.

Horatio's mouth dropped open as he stared at the Hummer as it disappeared into the distance. Growling, he started the car. He had one stop to make before he made the drive back to Rick's house. Horatio had the feeling that they were going to need something to help get them through the talk that was waiting for them.


	11. Chapter 11

xXxXx

Rick wasn't the least bit surprised when he beat Horatio back to 'his' house. He shut the engine off before he got out of the vehicle. After glancing around, he stood there leaning against the back of the Hummer with his arms folded across his chest. Rick sighed and closed his eyes before he tilted his head back and rested his right foot on the vehicle's rear bumper.

Rick could feel the sun bearing down on him, when he first arrived but he didn't move. As he waited for Horatio to get there the sun began its descent. Just as Rick was starting to get both bored and worried, he glanced at his watch. He had been surprised to learn that thirty minutes had passed. The redhead was just reaching for the cell phone in his pocket when he heard the sound of a vehicle approaching. Sure enough, it was Horatio. Rick waited until the other man had pulled into his driveway and was out of the car before he spoke. "You got lost, didn't you?"

"No, smartass, I didn't."

"Then, what took you so long? I know my car isn't as peppy as the Hummer, but it certainly doesn't take thirty minutes more for you to get here than it does for me when we left close to the same time."

"I stopped by The Still to pick up this." Horatio answered, holding up a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black. "I figured that we might need a little liquid courage."

Rick raised an eyebrow. _This ought to be good,_ Rick thought to himself. He didn't drink much normally because he and alcohol did not get along at all. If he had anything over a glass, he usually passed out shortly after and woke up the next morning with the world's worst headache. It stood to reason that Horatio didn't know a thing about that.

Horatio paused, tilting his head as he gave the other man a once over. The other man frowned in confusion. "What?" Rick asked, confused.

"You didn't put any sunscreen on this morning, did you?"

"No. What? Why would I?"

Horatio tried not to smirk, honestly, he tried. He managed to keep a straight face for about a minute before he lost the battle. "Rick," he began. "You might want to take a look in the mirror."

Rick raised an eyebrow before walking over to the Hummer's side mirror and looked in it. "What the…?"

"I don't tan, I burn. Honestly, I think that I should invest in sunscreen."

Rick ignored Horatio as he lifted the sunglasses in order to have a better look then promptly groaned then blushed as H started laughing at him.

"Stop laughing. You do realize that it's actually you that is looking like a raccoon and not me?"

That quickly shut Horatio up. "Spoilsport."

"It takes one to know one, Horatio."

When he made no move to open the door, Rick snapped his fingers in front of the other man's face.

"What is it, Rick?"

"Are you going to open the door, or are you going to keep us out here all night."

"It's your… Wait, that's right." Horatio shook his head muttering the whole time under his breath. It was loud enough that Rick could hear that he was saying something but low enough that he couldn't make out what was being said.

Turning his back on the other man, Rick peered into the side view mirror once more. He smirked when he heard Horatio's irritated growl. "Problem, Horatio?" He questioned without looking up.

"I can't find the right key to get the damn door open."

Sighing, he straightened up and turned around only to have the keys hit his chest before falling to the ground. "What was that for?"

"Nice catch, Rick."

"Nice throw, Horatio. I'm glad you have better aim than that when it comes to your gun."

"Ha ha, that's so funny that I forgot to laugh, Rick."

"That comment is as old as you are, Horatio."

"Don't you mean as old as _YOU_ are, now that you're technically older than me? Or did you forget?"

Rick ignored him, shoving his way past the other man as he approached his door. He smirked at the other man's frown when the first key he tried slid easily into its home as the door in front of him opened as if welcoming home its rightful owner.

"Showoff." Horatio muttered under his breath as Rick tossed the keys back at him.

"You're welcome, Horatio," Rick replied as the other man stepped inside, allowing him to shut and lock the door behind them.

Once inside, Horatio made a beeline towards the recliner while Rick headed straight for his aquarium. He noticed that the water was getting dirty and needed to be changed soon, but for now that would have to wait. Instead, he opened the doors that were built into the stand and pulled out a couple different types of food and grinned. The fish were all swimming near the top as if they knew food was on its way at last.

"Horatio?"

"What is it Rick?"

"Since it was your idea to have the talk about our backgrounds tonight, which you seem to think is necessary, maybe tomorrow…" He let his voice drift off as he waited to see if the other man was paying attention to him.

"What about tomorrow?"

Rick smirked at the other man. "Tomorrow you're getting a crash course in taking care of fish starting with how to clean the tank."

"What?"

"Tomorrow, I'm going to show you how to change the water in the aquarium." Rick spoke slowly as if he was talking to a child. "As you can see, it's getting quite dirty."

"Don't you just put the fish in another bowl of water while you empty the old water out and fill it back up with fresh water?"

Horatio frowned in confusion when Rick just stared at him with his mouth hanging open.

"What?"

"You are so going to learn how to take care of my fish if it's the last thing I do. For crying out loud, they're freshwater fish not saltwater. The last thing I need is for you to kill my pets with your lack of knowledge in the caring for fish department."

Horatio raised an eyebrow as he stared at Rick. "Just how do you plan on doing that?"

"Easy, especially since it's one of those extremely rare cases when I have more knowledge on a subject for once than you do."

"Rick, you are getting way too much mileage out of this." Frowning, he tilted his head in the direction of the aquarium as he examined it. "How long does it normally take you to change the water in that… that thing?"

"Usually, it takes a couple of hours at most."

"So when are you going to have the time to teach me? Despite the situation, I can't read your mind, you know."

Rick smirked, causing the other man to blink at him in confusion. "Easy. I'll just stay the night in the spare bedroom." He froze, not believing that he just said that.

Horatio just stared at Rick, not believing his ears. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before his eyes drifted over to the bottle of Johnnie Walker sitting on the table.

"Then again, I could just go to your house and come back in the morning…"

"Rick, stop babbling. It just took me by surprise. You can stay."

Rick raised an eyebrow at that before he followed the other man's line of sight and nodded as the realization set in. Horatio was right, and he was still NOT used to thinking that phrase.

"It probably would be for the best." Rick admitted. "Although, honestly, I wasn't even thinking when I had invited myself to stay the night."

Horatio smirked. "Well, it is your place after all. I'm just taking temporary residence."

Rick snorted at that. "That's one way to put it. We're both taking up new temporary residences in more ways than one."

Horatio gave his head a short nod in agreement. There were a few moments of comfortable silence that followed. Then, Horatio started chuckling.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I was just thinking that it was a good thing that we both have jobs. Can you imagine the two of us filling out job applications with this hanging over our heads?"

"Oh God," Rick said shaking his head. "I can picture that. They'd be like do these people even know who the hell they are?"

Horatio threw his head back and laughed at the imagery that had formed in his mind. He hadn't laughed so hard or so freely in a very long time. "Thanks, I needed that laugh."

"My pleasure."

Horatio glanced over and saw that the other man wasn't being sarcastic. He meant what he had said. "Wonders never cease." He muttered under his breath earning him a raised eyebrow. He tried to give the other man an innocent look but it ended up sending Rick into a fit of laughter once more.

He didn't quit laughing until he was coughing so hard that Horatio ventured into the kitchen and returned with a glass of water for Rick. "Sorry about that." He said, holding up the glass as a peace offering.

"So…" Rick croaked out, before giving his head a small shake and taking another sip of the water. "So, I'm assuming that you keep a change of clothes in the Hummer. Because heaven forbid something happens to one of your suits and you don't have anything to change into." Rick responded with a grin, as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Smartass," Horatio mumbled, his voice lacking the usual heat that usually appeared whenever they got into one of their legendary spats.

"Better than being called a jackass." Rick retorted with a smile. "But, believe me, I've been called worse."

Horatio frowned at that. He opened his mouth to respond, but Rick held up his hand. "Trust me on this one. It wasn't you, nor was it even the people at work and that's all that I'm going to say on the subject right now."

Rick walked back over to his aquarium and checked on his fish one last time. After he was sure that they were okay and that they had been properly fed, he headed into his kitchen where he scrubbed his hands clean. Afterwards, he walked over to his cabinets and pulled out two small glasses before returning to the living room where he allowed Horatio to take them from him.

He placed the glasses on the two coasters that were sitting on the coffee table and went to work opening the bottle. Due to his nerves, it took Horatio a couple tries before he succeeded in getting it open.

Rick raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He had looked into Horatio's past when he had been in New York. He hadn't uncovered much, but what he had learned raised his suspicions. The other man's reactions served as unofficial confirmation that he hadn't had the greatest childhood and, that it was possibly worse than his own.

He waited for the other man to pour each of them a single glass and then he took the bottle away from Horatio and disappeared into the kitchen. The other man heard some rustling and banging coming from the kitchen, but before he could get up to go check on him, Rick returned to the living room minus the bottle.

Noticing the raised eyebrow, Rick answered the unvoiced question. "Trust me on this. I have the feeling you'll be thanking me for it much later." Horatio frowned. That raised even more questions, but he kept them to himself. Hopefully, both of them could manage to get through tonight.

"So who gets to start?"

"Honestly, Horatio, I think it should be you."

"Why is that, Rick?"

"Well, first of all, it was your idea. Secondly, I don't feel like going first."

"Both valid arguments," Horatio admitted with a sigh.

"Someone alert the media, Horatio Caine just admitted that I made valid arguments."

"Technically, it would be Rick saying that Horatio was making valid arguments."

Rick pouted. "Party-pooper. Take all my fun away why don't you?"

Horatio said nothing in response. He took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. Then, he took a sip of the whiskey. The familiar burn as it made its way down helped him in gathering up his courage. Then, setting his glass down back on the coaster, he took a seat on the sofa beside Rick.

Rick raised his head and looked over at the man sitting beside him. He was still finding it a little awkward to see himself when he looked at Horatio, but he had the little comfort of the other man feeling the same way when looking at him.

"First of all, I can think of a lot of things that I'd rather be doing than telling you any of this. As I'm also sure that there are things that you would rather not be telling me. However, since we are in this situation, and we both agreed, it has to be done."

Rick raised an eyebrow. Horatio rambling was definitely something that he never thought he'd witness. There were times, before this happened that he wouldn't have minded seeing it. Now, however, he took no pleasure in it.

"Go ahead."

Horatio sighed. "Well, I'm sure that you have probably noticed the scars on my left leg."

"It is kind of hard not to notice them." Rick answered truthfully.

"I do have more scars besides that one. You know about the ones on the back of my hands from Stewart Otis." He took a deep breath. "I… I have another that is on my lower back, but it's nothing near as bad as the ones on my leg."

"What happened to your back?"

That surprised Horatio. He had expected the other man to want to know more about what happened to his leg. Then again, Rick had been surprising him a lot lately so it really wasn't all that unexpected.

"I was shoved through a sliding glass door. Piece of glass got stuck in my back."

Rick winced at that. "How?"

"My father told the people at the hospital that Ray had pushed me through the door. No one seemed to think that it was odd that Ray was only five at the time."

"Damn." He muttered as he cautiously took a sip out of his glass before wincing at the taste of it. Rick had no idea how the alcohol affected the other man, but he assumed that Horatio had a much higher tolerance than he did. However, Rick wasn't taking any chances.

Horatio waited for Rick to make some sort of comment about not being able to take care of himself, but he didn't. After taking another sip from his glass, he found himself a little more willing to share more of his background than most people knew with the exception of Alexx.

"You probably noticed that there was a more recent scar that runs parallel across my leg. That one is the most recent, not counting my hands, and came from my first brush with Resden back when I still lived and worked in New York."

"What happened?"

"Let's just say that he caught me by surprise and knocked me out. When I woke up I was tied to a chair and he had a knife in his hands. He was just getting started when my backup arrived. He took off out of there like a bat out of hell."

"Keep going."

"I tried to tell them that I was okay and it was only a scratch."

Rick snorted and muttered under his breath. "Since when do scratches leave scars?"

He chose to ignore the other man's comment as he finished up with that particular explanation. "Long story short, by the time they did decide to take off after Resden he had escaped."

Rick frowned. "Speaking of Resden, should we be worried about him? After all, from what you said, Ratner pretty much gave him his get out of jail free card."

Horatio shook his head. "Honestly, Rick, I don't know. I never thought he'd be smart enough to almost have me put away for a murder I didn't commit. He's probably long gone by now, but there is a small chance that he isn't."

"So, in other words, it's best to keep my guard up."

"Yeah, that would be the wise thing to do."

Rick nodded as he took another small sip of the whiskey. It was a few moments before he realized that he wasn't feeling much effect from the drink and that surprised him. He wasn't going to press Horatio. He knew that was the one surefire way to make him clam up. The redhead knew that as much as neither one of them were wanting to have this conversation, it was much needed and providing insight into the man that he had for the longest seen as his enemy.

Horatio frowned as he stood up. The next part of his story was especially rough. He could still feel the burning sensation on his leg whenever he thought about it, and it was no different now, even though he was for all intents and purposes he was Rick Stetler. He began to pace back and forth across the living room.

Rick pressed his lips into a tight line, but when he made a move to stand up the other man waved him back. "The rest of the scars came from the same man." His voice had dropped to barely a whisper, as he came to rest against the back of the couch. Horatio was gripping the furniture's back tightly.

"Let me hazard a guess and say that it was your father."

Horatio said nothing but gave his head a short, sharp nod of his head as beaded sweat appeared on his forehead. Rick watched and it seemed to him that it was as if he was fighting some painful memory. Rick said nothing, as the other man slowly walked back around to take a seat on the sofa once more.

Once he had taken a seat, Horatio reached for the glass and took a long swallow from the glass. The burning as it went down distracted him some from the memory but not enough.

"Tell me what happened?"

"I'm trying, Rick. It's not something that I usually talk about."

The other man nodded his head. He knew that sometimes it took a while to wrestle those demons. Rick knew something of the battle that the other man was going through, albeit his were more mental demons than physical ones.

"Long story short," Horatio began with a nod at Rick's left leg. He took a deep breath, before slowly letting it out as he mentally told himself that the pain was just a memory. He was not feeling the effects from that day many, many years ago.

"I'm listening." Rick whispered, not knowing what else to say.

"I was either five or six years old at the time. I was just getting over being sick. I think that it was strep throat, but I'm not entirely positive. Anyways, I had just gotten my voice back…"

"That was a good thing, right?"

"For me it was but, evidentially, to my father it was a bad thing." Horatio took another sip of the amber liquid out of the glass before he resumed the task of telling the other man what had transpired.

"At the time, my father was trying to watch his show and to this day I still can't remember what it was. It could have possibly been the news but, then again, could have been something else altogether. He got irritated with me because I wasn't being quiet. He pretty much screamed at me that 'if I didn't shut the hell up, he'd give me something to cry about'."

Rick frowned but said nothing as everything Horatio said sank in. He knew that the other man wasn't finished either. For a while there was simply silence. Horatio was just staring at the glass on the table in front of him as Rick carefully watched him.

"What happened next?" He whispered gently placing his hand on the other man's shoulder, wincing slightly as Horatio flinched away from the touch.

_Smart move there, Rick,_ he growled at himself. "Sorry."

Horatio shook his head. "That's part of why I don't normally like to talk about this. I get too jumpy." He gave a small shake of his head. "Anyways, where was I?"

"You had just said that your father had told you that if you weren't quiet, he'd give you something to cry about."

"Well, I said something to my Mom, who was in the kitchen making supper. Dad heard me and, true to his word, he did give me something to cry about. He yanked my pants down before she could stop him, he had grabbed a pot holder and picked up the skillet with hot oil in it…"

Rick winced, his mind already jumping ahead of Horatio's account.

"Yep, he dumped it on my left leg. I should consider myself lucky that most of it missed my right leg as well as other important areas…"

"Was anything ever done about it?"

Horatio shook his head no. "He was drunk at the time, so the official story was that he had accidentally knocked the skillet off of the stove and I just happened to be in the way when it fell."

Rick swallowed deeply, before he reached over and took a sip from his glass. He now had a better understanding of Horatio's reactions when it came to child abuse cases. He took a deep breath, knowing what was coming next.


	12. Chapter 12

There were a few moments of silence. "All right, I've told you about my past, it's your turn now Rick."

Rick took a deep breath as he turned around on the sofa to face Horatio. "I was an accident."

Horatio frowned. "I'm sure that's not true, Rick."

Horatio watched as 'he' held up his hand silencing him. Rick gave him a sad smile. "It is true, Horatio. I have an older brother, Josh. He took after my mom in appearance while I got the short end of the stick and took after my father. Josh is roughly seven years older than I am… or rather than you are now."

Rick took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He seriously did not need to go into one of his ranting sessions. Which is usually what ended up happening whenever he thought about his brother for any length of time. Instead, he got up and picked a family portrait off of the bookcase. A smile formed on his face when he began to think about his mother.

Once he was sure that he could talk without snapping somebody's head off, Rick began to speak once more. "My mother and I were always close."

The brunette noticed that Rick was getting tense. "What was her name?"

The redhead smiled. "Carolyn." Rick took a deep breath and slowly let it out before he continued. "She was always there for me. But for some reason, I always seemed to be in the doghouse with my father and I never could figure out why. I mean, I got good grades, never got into any trouble at school, always did my chores on time. Josh always called me a Goody Two Shoes." Rick replied, rolling his eyes at that. "It wasn't until I turned eight that I figured out the reason why that was the case and after that, my father never let me forget it either."

"What happened?"

Rick snorted as the events of that day came to his mind. "It seems so stupid now after all of these years. It took one little trip to the park for everything to go south so quickly." He stared at the almost full glass of whisky on the coffee table in front of him before he picked it up taking another sip out of it. He didn't like the way it tasted, but he needed all the help he could get to get him through telling this story though in a way it wasn't nearly as bad as Horatio's past.

"I had gotten straight A's on my report card that day, and Mom had asked me what I wanted to do. My request was simple. I wanted to go to the park. Josh was mad at me because he had wanted me to ask for a new bike." Rick snorted at that. "He never could get straight As."

"Please continue." Horatio encouraged, not having a clue how this was connected to the story but he was sure that Rick had a reason behind telling him this and that the other man would get to the point soon.

"Anyways, as requested Mom took me to the park and Josh tagged along. He had gone off to do his own thing and I was just wandering around. Eventually, I came across a small stick that I picked up. After shaking off all the ants that were crawling along it, I began to imaging that I was in the middle of a swordfight. The next thing that I knew, Josh appeared out of nowhere and jerked the stick out of my hand."

"Then what happened?"

"He dared me to jump out of a swing while I was swinging in it. I refused at first, but he just wouldn't give up."

Rick risked a glance over at Horatio. His eyebrows had shot skywards as if he had an idea of where this story was going.

"Yes, you're probably on the right track. Mom was talking with one of my friend's mom at the time, so she didn't realize what Josh was up too until it was too late. He triple dog dared me, and after promising that he would leave me alone if I jumped out of the swing, I did it. So, of course, not only did I end up fracturing my humerus, but I also ended up breaking my ulna as well."

Horatio winced. He wasn't a stranger to broken bones, but thankfully he had never had a compound fracture. A single one hurt bad enough. Horatio couldn't even begin to imagine how much worse multiple broken bones hurt. "Then what?"

"Mom, took me to the hospital, of course." Rick took a deep breath as he rubbed his left arm. "They set both bones and put the cast on as well as my arm in a sling. I…" The redhead shook his head and took another swallow of the whiskey before he continued. "When we got home from the hospital, my father was so furious that he told me, and I quote, 'You were an accident. We had planned on only having one child.' He went so far as to tilt his head towards Josh who was just standing there watching on in shock."

He ignored the growl coming from his body. "That's not all that was said either. He went on to add 'In fact, I was planning on taking your mother on a very special trip for our anniversary that year, but we couldn't go. Care to guess why? She couldn't get the necessary immunizations that she needed in order to go because we discovered that she was pregnant with you.'"

"That bastard," Horatio growled out. "He had no right to say that. No right at all."

Horatio's reaction earned a raised eyebrow, though given the information that he had just learned it wasn't all that surprising. The other man had issues with abuse cases, physical or mental it didn't matter.

"As I got older, the comments and the like just got worse. Actually it was part of the reason why I ended up finally getting the tattoo. I had a friend draw it for me since I can't draw to save my life."

Rick smirked when he saw Horatio frown. "My father was a Church of Christ preacher. He always saw wolves as evil so when he realized that they were my favorite animal; he made it a point of always quoting Bible verses to me. His favorite was Matthew 7:15."

Rick stood up, scowling his features and began talking in a deep voice. "'Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.'"

Once he had finished, Rick sat back down on the couch. "It was hypocritical if you ask me."

"Why is that?"

Rick slowly shook his head, frowning as he did so. "In public, he presented himself as this humble man of God. When we were at home, he was the exact opposite. I made the mistake of pointing it out to him once and he accused be of being under the influence of Satan. Go figure."

Horatio frowned. "You're not telling me everything, are you?" He asked, remembering what Delmare had said earlier as he looked down at the photograph that Rick had taken off of the bookshelf. He closed his eyes as he thought, before opening them and looking over at Rick. "Do I remind you of your brother?"

"You used to. However, now that we've actually _had_ to take the time to get to know each other, I can honestly say I like you a great deal more than him."

Horatio raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean by that?"

"For one thing, you tell it exactly how you see it. You don't fucking agree with someone because it will make your life easier in the long run. Honestly, that's the one thing I did like about you long before I actually got to know you. But you are right in the fact that I didn't tell you everything."

At that, Rick, who had most of his glass of whiskey left, took a deep breath before he downed the rest of the amber liquid. "I haven't told anyone this before.

"Several years ago, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer." Rick shook his head. "She didn't even smoke. The first time, she beat it and went into remission. I used that opportunity and, with her support, I moved here to Miami. The next couple of years things were going great. I liked the weather here, didn't have to put up with my father's crap anymore, was on the promotion grid, the list could go on and on…"

"So what was it that happened to cause it to change?"

Rick smiled at the other man. "As observant as ever, Horatio. You're about to be the only person to ever get the complete story. Not even Rose knows everything about what happened."

He took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. "Then, just as suddenly, things changed. The following year, everything went to hell in a handbasket. While I was on the promotion grid to Lieutenant, along with you, I received word that the cancer had not only returned but it had spread. My father wanted me to quit my job and move back home. At the time, I couldn't quit and I told him so. I did volunteer to come home as much as I could. Mom, as usual, understood where I was coming from and supported me. Josh, on the other hand, took my father's side. It didn't help matters that he had already transferred back to Alabama from California. He was an accountant."

"So what happened?" Horatio asked. He liked the senior Stetler less and less the more he learned about the man.

"My father all but disowned me then and there. Here are his exact words. 'Don't bother. We know how you feel about us, so don't bother speaking to this family ever again'."

"Then, not only did you end up beating me out of the promotion to Lieutenant, but on that same day I received a call from one of my aunts. She was my mom's oldest sister and she was asking me why I had missed the funeral since everyone knew that the two of us were close. No one had called to tell me a damn thing. It turned out that my father had told anyone that asked that he called to tell me about the arrangements and I had hung up on him."

"My aunt was horrified to hear that not only did I not know anything about the arrangements that I didn't even know that Mom had passed away."

Horatio opened his mouth before he closed it, not really knowing what to say. He didn't want to open his mouth and say something that would be taken the wrong way, especially when he was already feeling some effects from the drink. That surprised him, because it normally took Horatio at least five glasses before he normally felt the signs. He shrugged, lifted his glass, and downed the rest of the liquid.

Both men just sat there, digesting the information that they had just learned about each other. Eventually, the silence began to get to Rick. He stood up, excused himself, and took both of their glasses into the kitchen where he proceeded to wash and dry them. When was finished, he returned to the living room where he found Horatio out like a light.

Rick didn't even have the energy to smirk. He knew that Horatio was going to have it rough in the morning. Hell, he got drunk off of Nyquil. He sighed, tilting his head up in the direction of his ceiling. "You must be really amused right about now. Either you have a really strange sense of humor, or you really just hate me."

He walked over to the front of the couch and stared down at himself. Horatio had not only passed out on the couch but he was now lying sprawled across it. Rick brought his hand up to his face and slowly dragged it down. He looked at the distance between his sofa and the staircase. "Just had to make things difficult, didn't you." He muttered under his breath.

He reached down and grabbed the other man's arms and tried to pull him up and realized that he was wasting more energy in trying to pull the other man's dead weight onto his feet. Sighing, he perched himself on the arm of the sofa as he tried to think of an easier way of getting Horatio to his feet.

It took him a few minutes of just sitting there thinking, before he had one of those eureka moments. Rick hopped off of the couch's arm and grinned. Kneeling down on the floor, he reached up and pulled Horatio's right arm around his shoulder and scooted out as he stood up pulling Horatio upright with him.

By the time he had the two of them standing, Rick was breathing hard from the effort of lifting his dead weight off of the couch. He hadn't realized how heavy he could be, and Rick was glad that he tended to stay away from alcohol.

"Just remember this. Tomorrow, when you wake up with the worst headache imaginable, this was your idea and yours alone." He muttered before he turned the two of them around so that they were facing the staircase. He stared at the steps for a few minutes before he sighed. This was one of those times that he wished that he wasn't taller than Horatio because then it might have had an easier time getting the other man upstairs if that had been the case.

It took him another ten minutes for Rick just to get the two of them upstairs. When he finally reached 'his' room, he maneuvered the other man over to his bed, placed him on it and then pulled a blanket out of his closet.

Then, after wiping the sweat from his face, he pulled a pair of boxers out of his dresser drawer and disappeared down the hall. He ran hot water into the tub and eased himself down into it where he soaked his sore and protesting muscles. Only when the water started to cool down did he ease himself into a sitting position. He closed his eyes as he washed.

When he was done, Rick pulled on the boxers before he disappeared into the kitchen where he retrieved a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water that he set on the nightstand beside the bed where Horatio was. He even opened the child proof lid and just set it on top to keep anything from getting to the medicine. Then, after checking to make sure that the other man was still breathing, he rolled the brunette onto his side. Rick then turned and headed across the hall to his spare bedroom where he crawled into bed. It had been a very tiring day and it didn't take very long for him to get to sleep.

xXxXx


	13. Chapter 13

xXxXx

Rick turned over so that he was lying on his side as he reached over to his nightstand turn his clock around so that he could check the time only to realize that the clock wasn't there. After his momentary confusion, the events of the previous day came flooding into his mind. Not sure if he was still dreaming or what, he rolled out of the bed and stumbled down the hall into his bathroom.

Without looking in the mirror, Rick turned on the cold water before liberally splashing his face. Only after he dried his eyes on the hand towel, did he glance into the mirror. "Well, obviously it's going to take more than a day."

Glancing over at the wall clock that he kept in the bathroom, Rick noticed that it was a little after eleven. He paused in the bathroom's doorway and listened hard. He didn't hear anything, so he decided to check on Horatio. As expected, the other man was still breathing and also completely out of it.

After closing the door behind him, Rick headed for the stairs only to remember he was just wearing boxers. Backtracking into the bathroom he grabbed his robe off of the hook on the back of the door and pulled it on. He wasn't surprised to find it slightly longer than usual. Then, Rick headed downstairs to his den where he dug his old Bible out of the bookcase and flipped it open removing his spare key. Then, after pausing to read the message his mother had wrote to him on it, he closed the book, carefully placing it back onto his bookshelf.

He let himself out of his house and approached the Hummer, keys in hand. It took him a few minutes before he finally found the duffel bag that Horatio kept in the Hummer. He closed the rear door to the vehicle and locked the doors again before returning inside. After tossing the bag on the spare bed, Rick realized that there was an added complication.

He didn't want to mess up any clean clothes Horatio had with him, without having something else to change into. He knew all too well how messy cleaning the fish tank could be. Rick sighed, carefully folding the items back into the duffel bag. He returned to the bathroom where he dug out the clothes that he had been wearing yesterday. He didn't like it, but it was really the only available option that he could think of.

Sighing, he turned on the water before stepping into the shower and let the warm water relax away the tension that he was feeling.

xXxXx

Horatio rolled over onto his side and groaned. His head felt like someone was holding a jackhammer against it. He felt like shit and he just knew, without opening his eyes, that he looked worse than he felt. It was a few minutes before he tried to force his eyes open, but had to close them quickly when the room began spinning. Horatio quickly took a deep breath and held it before the urge to vomit overtook him. The last thing he needed was to get sick from only one glass.

How was he supposed to know that Rick didn't handle his alcohol well?

Horatio waited a few minutes before he tried opening his eyes again. He carefully cracked open one eye and waited until the room had stopped spinning before he opened the other one. Horatio noticed that sitting on the bedside table was a glass of water as well as a bottle of Aspirin. He groaned when he saw the lid. He didn't feel like struggling with it but, then again, neither did he feel like dealing with the jackhammer in his head all day. With a sigh, he reached for the bottle only to discover another surprise. The lid fell off onto the floor when he grabbed it. It was almost as if someone had purposely removed the lid and then just barely placed it back on.

Horatio winced. It hurt him to think. After forcing himself to sit up, he waited for the dizziness to pass before he turned the bottle on its side and poured a couple Aspirins into his hand. Reaching for the glass of water he took a big sip before he tilted his head back and put the pills in his mouth and swallowed them.

He heard the sound of the running water cut off and a few minutes later, the sound of a door opening down the hall. Horatio was still sitting there, debating on whether or not to try and stand when 'his' voice coming from the doorway startled him.

"Good. You're awake."

Horatio raised an eyebrow as he jerked his head in the direction of the doorway and instantly regretted the sudden movement. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he saw Rick standing there with a towel wrapped around his waist. He was smiling apologetically but, evidentially, that was all the apologizing that he was going to be getting from Rick.

"Yes, I do remember that it was my idea."

The only acknowledgement that he received was a nod of the other man's head. "I'll go and get some coffee started. That should give you enough time to get ready. I do have a suggestion for you."

"What might that be?"

"I suggest that you put on some of my older clothes, maybe a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt. I wouldn't want you to mess up some of my good work clothes even if they aren't as nice as yours."

"Huh?"

Rick chuckled at that. "I'm teaching you how to clean out the aquarium today, remember?"

Horatio blinked. "You were serious?"

"As a heart attack. By the way, I'm just going to put that shirt that I wore yesterday back on. That way, I won't be messing up that suit you keep in the duffel bag unnecessarily. After we get done taking care of the fish tank, I'll take another shower and put that fresh change of clothes on then."

Horatio shook his head, and just stared at Rick. This was a far cry from the Rick Stetler that he had seen yesterday morning. "You're in a good mood today." He stated simply.

"I'm always in a good mood on the weekends. Most of the time I can sleep in as late as I want to." Rick retorted with a grin.

"Late? What time is it?" Horatio asked, swinging his head around to glance at the clock on the nightstand and once more regretted the sudden movement.

"Easy there." Rick said in a low voice from the doorway. "It's just a little after noon. Now, do you see why I only fixed one glass for each of us? Though I have to admit, you have good tolerance."

"And your tolerance is very poor." Horatio retorted, closing his eyes as he waited for the room to quit spinning. "And you didn't think to share that with me because…"

Rick smiled sheepishly. "That's one way to put it. Some words of advice if you do get sick before we change back whatever you do, don't take a full dose of Nyquil. And as for why I didn't think to share it with you, it was because you didn't ask me. You just raised an eyebrow and remained silent." With that, Rick grinned and disappeared back into the spare bedroom across the hall.

Horatio slowly opened his eyes again and was relieved when the room remained still. He went to stand up only to discover that he was still sore from yesterday's sparring match. His back felt as if it was one enormous bruise. He took a deep breath before he stood up. Then, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom and down the hall.

Once he reached the bathroom, he closed the door and locked it behind him. Afterwards, he slowly made his way over to the tub where he turned the hot water on full blast. Then he slowly turned on the cold just enough that he wasn't going to be scalded when he got in. He didn't want to experience that feeling again ever.

Horatio hoped that by the time that he was finished, some of the soreness might have worked its way out. He knew that it was still going to take some time before the Aspirin took effect and the headache went away. At least the rooms had finally stopped spinning.

He stayed in the tub until the water lost all of its warmth. With a sigh, he pulled the stopper out of the drain and climbed out before drying off and wrapping the towel around his waist.

Horatio returned to the master bedroom and disappeared into Rick's closet trying to find the older clothes that he had mentioned. It took him several minutes, but he finally found them stuffed in a lonely corner at the back of the closet. He pulled the pair of jeans off of the hanger and grabbed the first t-shirt that he saw, one that was navy blue.

Once he was dressed, he headed back downstairs where Rick was waiting for him. Horatio raised an eyebrow. The other man had been busy while he was waiting for Horatio to show up. There was several plastic gallon ice cream buckets filled with water scattered about on the carpeted floor. "Glad you could finally…" Rick started to say, but his voice trailed off when he looked up.

"What is it?" Horatio asked, looking around puzzled at what had distracted Rick.

"Nothing." The other man answered quickly. Honestly, he had forgotten about how revealing that pair of jeans were and how well they molded to him. That was the main reason behind why he didn't wear them much outside of the house and behind why he had them hanging at the very back of his closet.

Horatio chose not to respond. Instead, he just looked around as he waited for Rick to start explaining things. Speaking of the other man, he did have the suit on from yesterday minus the jacket and tie. His sleeves were unbuttoned and rolled up to the elbows. Rick was just placing a bottle back into the cabinet beneath the tank.

Once he had finished with that, Rick had explained what he had already done as well as give Horatio a brief run-through of what they were about to do. By the time he had stopped talking, Horatio's head was swimming again. "I thought that fish were supposed to be easy care pets."

Rick found himself grinning at Horatio's comments. "That's what a lot of people tend to think. I just find it relaxing to watch them swim around, and they do look nice." Horatio watched him as he glanced over at the DVD player's clock. "The water should be fine by now. Want to see how many fish I can catch before you can net your first one?"

"It can't possibly be that hard can it?" Horatio asked, watching the fish as they calmly swam around in the aquarium.

"There is a trick to catching them." Rick admitted with a sly grin.

"Well, aren't you going to pass along that information?"

"No, and I have my reasons for not doing that. After all, its valuable information and I want to see if you can figure it out on your own first."

"That's not fair. You don't have to deal with a hangover."

"Of course it is." Rick smirked. "Want to make this a little bit more interesting?"

Horatio narrowed his eyes. "What exactly do you mean by interesting, Rick?"

The smirk on his face got bigger causing Horatio to quirk an eyebrow at him as he watched the other man pull 'his' wallet out and placed a twenty out on his coffee table. "How about a little bet? Twenty bucks say that I can catch ten fish before you can get a single one."

Horatio should have been worried at how confident the other man was. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out 'Rick's wallet. "You're on." He replied, placed a twenty on top of the one Rick had just laid down.

Rick simply grinned as he handed Horatio one of the nets. He took it before giving Rick a small nod of his head as both men approached the tank. Horatio smirked, he could practically hear the old west standoff music whistling as they approached.

The redhead watched for a few minutes as Horatio did nothing except for stirring up the fish. They started swimming erratically throughout the aquarium. While Horatio was wildly chasing after any fish that he could get the net close too, Rick took his time.

After targeting one fish, Rick watched it for a few minutes before anticipating where it was going to dart next. Then, he simply placed the net in front of it and nimbly scooped it up. Once he had dumped it into one of the water filled ice cream buckets, he looked up with a smirk plastered on his face. "Rick one and Horatio none."

The look on Horatio's face when he spoke those words caused Rick to laugh. After which, he glared at Horatio. "I wish that you would stop making me laugh. It's starting to get embarrassing."

"Welcome to the club." Horatio managed to shoot back before he burst out laughing.

"I'm glad that you're finding it so amusing."

"Tell me, if it was the other way around, would you or would you not be amused?"

Rick opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before he finally shrugged. With a smirk he turned his attention back to the aquarium and had dipped his net back into the water before Horatio even realized what he was up to.

"Hey, you're cheating!"

"Hay is for horses, Horatio. Also, I'm not cheating. No one's stopping you from attempting to catch a fish. You aren't handcuffed to the coffee table or anything like that. That's the only way it would be considered cheating." Rick replied, not bothering to take his eyes away from his targeted fish. When he scooped it up, Rick couldn't help but chuckle. "Not bad. A two-fer. Beat that."

Horatio narrowed his eyes as he tried to ignore Rick.

"Also, the score is now three for Rick and still none for Horatio."

Horatio growled at that as he returned his attention back to the tank and redoubled his efforts to try and catch one of the many fish that was swimming wildly back and forth in the aquarium. Despite the number of fish in the tank, they always seemed to anticipate his movements and darted nimble out of the net's way. The brunette chose to tune out the other man's voice. It seemed to work for him until he heard Rick say the word "Nine."

Horatio had almost caught a fish but just as he was about to try and lift it out, the stupid fish just swam right out of the net. Horatio growled in irritation as rick shouted a triumphant "Ten and I win! Better luck next time, Horatio."

"Congrats, you're now twenty dollars richer. Now do you feel up to sharing that trick with me or what?"

"Are you sure that you want to know what the trick is?"

"I'm positive."

"All right." He replied, stepping up beside Horatio. "The first thing that you need to do is target a specific fish. Let me know when you have done that."

"I've got it. Now what?"

"Which one is it?"

"It's the medium sized white goldfish with the little orange spot on its head."

Rick chuckled at that. "Should've known that you'd notice Morris."

"Morris? And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Morris is his name. And I didn't mean anything by that. Do you want to learn this trick or not because I can stop and refuse to show you?" Horatio just turned his head and glared at him, causing Rick to smirk.

"Okay," Rick replied, grabbing a hold of Horatio's arm. "The next thing that you gotta do is watch the targeted fish swim for a while until you can anticipate where it's going to go next." Horatio nodded, relaxing his arm and allowing the redhead to guide it.

"Okay, I got that." Horatio replied as they watched the fish as it swam around in the tank. Every single fish was avoiding the net dangling in the water as if it were going to eat them.

"Then, you put the net where you think he's going to go and scoop it up quickly before it has a chance to swim out." Rick was guiding the other man's arm as he spoke and by the time he had said the word 'scoop' they had the fish in the net.

"Got it?" Rick asked, stepping back quickly as if he was suddenly realized just how close the two of them were standing.

"I think so."

"All right, then I'll let you try it all on your lonesome now."

Horatio rolled his eyes and stepped back up to the tank. He focused on the instructions that Rick had given him and, by following those directions, he had managed to scoop up another fish in the net.

The sound of applause coming from behind him startled him and Horatio almost dropped the fish back into the aquarium. He sighed in relief when it stayed in the net. The redhead just smirked as Horatio glared at him. Without saying anything, Rick walked around to the other side of the tank and started helping Horatio again. The two of them began working to catch the rest of the fish, enjoying the companionable silence that had descended.

"Finally," Horatio muttered, under his breath. "I was beginning to think that we'd never get them all. Why do you have to catch them with such small nets?"

"Oh, is poor little Horatio all tired?"

Horatio just raised an eyebrow at that, but Rick could see that he was fighting to keep a straight face.

"As far as your question, it's just the way they're made. You do realize that catching the fish is only the first step and that we're just now getting started?"

"Just out of curiosity, but exactly how often do you end up cleaning the tank Rick?"

"Basically, only about once a month is necessary. However, I prefer to try and clean it out about twice a month at least. It's not like I have a very active social life, you know?"

Horatio frowned at the news. "I hope to God that we have changed back by the next time that we have to clean this stupid thing."

Rick smirked. "Why? Don't you like being me? Or is it because you are still not comfortable with the process even though I have explained it step by step? Don't worry, I'm more than happy to come over again and talk you through cleaning the tanks once more. Who knows, maybe if that is the case we can get an even earlier start than noon."

Horatio rolled his eyes. "You're having way too much fun. You know that, right?"

Rick chuckled as he turned back to the aquarium. He began to hum softly to himself a tune that had popped into his head once Horatio had spoken.

Horatio tried to identify the tune to what Rick was humming but he was unable to do so. Horatio tried to be patient, but his curiosity eventually won out. "What on earth are you humming Rick?"

Horatio smirked when he saw his body freeze for just a moment. Rick slowly turned around to face his former nemesis, half expecting for him to start teasing him. Instead, even he could tell that the other man was genuinely curious.

Sighing softly, Rick turned around and placed the nets back in the storage bucket inside the stand. When he was done, he stood up and turned back around to face Horatio. It wasn't as awkward as it was in the beginning but Rick still found it strange to be looking at himself when he wasn't standing in front of a mirror. "I was humming 'Too Much Fun'."

He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the blank expression on Horatio's face. "Daryle Singletary's 'Too Much Fun'." The only response he got was the other man's eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Honestly Horatio, do you ever listen to the radio? It's a country song. Don't make me sing it." Rick promptly groaned at the sudden interest that was evident on Horatio's face.

_Another case of your mouth running off while your brain is stuck on neutral_, Rick thought to himself. When he didn't start singing, Horatio quirked an eyebrow and stared at him. "Are you honestly going to make me sing it?"

"I'm not going to make you do anything. But, I will admit, I'd like to see if it was possible for you to sing as me when I can't carry a tune in a bucket. Besides, I'm honestly not the least bit familiar with that song."

"Fine," Rick snapped, ignoring the pleased smirk that had appeared on 'his' face. He cleared his throat and was surprised to learn that he not only knew but remembered all the words to the song. He'd have been lying if he said that he wasn't nervous. He could sing just fine in his normal body, it was just that he didn't want people to know that he could. The fact that Horatio had admitted that he couldn't sing didn't help his confidence much.

"_Blue lights flashing in my rear view. The sheriff said, 'Boy, I should have known it was you_.'" Rick stopped there but a glare from Horatio had him picking up and singing through the entire song. "Are you happy now?" He asked, once he was finished.

"Yeah," Horatio admitted with a grin. "You can almost make me carry a tune, which is a miracle in itself."

"Good. Then, maybe we can get back to the task at hand." Rick smirked at Horatio's exaggerated groan. "Thought you had distracted me, didn't you?"

"I had hopes."

"Now come on, get your ass up out of that armchair and help out. The sooner we finish, the sooner you can relax."

"All right," Horatio groaned. "You win. Let's get this finished so that it will be over and done with. Remind me to get you a dog or a cat when we're back to normal."

Rick blinked. "Are you serious?"

Horatio would have had to have been blind to miss seeing how Rick's face lit up at what Horatio had said. He hadn't planned on it, but the look on 'his' face made him change his mind. Besides, Rick needed a pet he could interact with, not fish that were stuck in a tank. "If you'd like to have one, then yes I am serious."

Horatio was surprised at how a simple offer could cheer the other man up so much. Then again, despite his temper, Richie was always there for him when he had a bad day. As soon as he remembered Richie, Horatio groaned and threw his head back.

"What is it Horatio?"

"Richie is going to kill one of us, if not both, if we don't get finished here and get him fed."

"Shit."

Horatio stood up, and wiped his hands on the backside of his jeans. "Tell me what you need me to do."

"Yes sir." Rick responded with a smirk, before he playfully saluted the other man who just rolled his eyes but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped.

The two of them quickly got to work. Rick explained each step the best he could and Horatio did what he could to help without hindering the process.

Rick had to admit, that even though Horatio wasn't comfortable with the fish yet, he was a quick learner and even he could see that the man was putting forth an effort to learn. Working together the task of getting the tank cleaned went faster than it ever had before. Rick also learned that, surprisingly, the two of them ended up working well together. He chuckled in amusement at that.

An hour later, both men had finished cleaning and refilling the tank with water. The only thing they had left to do was putting the fish back into their home. "Do we have to catch them again?" Horatio complained jerking his head in the direction of the ice cream buckets holding the fish.

Rick threw back his head and laughed before turning around and glaring at Horatio. He caught the little smirk that the other man had tried to hide. "Now, I know you're doing that on purpose now. So, stop it."

Horatio blinked at Rick. "Doing what? I wasn't doing anything?"

"Don't give me that. You know good and well what you were doing."

"Rick, I don't know what you're talking about." Horatio replied, trying to keep a straight face and look innocent which sent Rick bursting out into laughter once again.

"Yeah right, Horatio. Honestly, you can't pull off the innocent look any better than I can. Besides, if anyone ever sees it on my face they know I'm up to something. In answer to your question, no we do not have to catch them again. We can just empty the buckets directly into the tank.

"Good. They're hard to catch even with that trick you showed me."

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

Horatio needed no further encouragement. He grabbed the nearest bucket and hurried over to the fish tank. As soon as he was standing over it, he dumped the bucket's contents into the aquarium. Rick followed suit, each of them taking turns until they had run out of buckets and all of the fish were safely back in the tank. Rick then placed the cover back on top and turned to face Horatio. "Okay, one last thing and we are completely done."

"What's that?"

"We need to rinse out these buckets out. After that, it'll be okay to leave them outside overnight and you can put them back in the stand in the morning."

Horatio followed the other man outside each of them carrying several buckets. Then Rick showed him where the faucet at the back of the house was located.


	14. Chapter 14

Once they were finished, Horatio headed into the kitchen and soaped his hands up with antibacterial soap that Rick kept for washing his hands. Meanwhile, the other man had disappeared back upstairs.

Once his hands were clean, Horatio returned to the living room and sank down in the recliner. He had to admit it was more comfortable than the one he had at his house. Horatio wasn't all that surprised when he heard the sound of footsteps going up the stairs.

He thought he'd close his eyes for just a minute to rest while he was waiting on the other man to change his clothes. Rick paused at the bottom of the stairs, adjusting his tie out of habit, as he watched himself doze. With a smirk, he pulled out Horatio's phone and snapped a picture before he walked over and placed a hand on the other man's shoulder.

When there was no reaction, he tried again this time gently shaking the other man's shoulder. Horatio woke up with a start. "What?" He asked, turning his head left then right.

"Easy there, you just dozed off." Rick explained.

"Am I dreaming?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

Rick frowned. "No, we've been through this already Horatio. We are stuck in each other's bodies."

"That's not what I'm talking about, Rick."

"Then, why are you staring at me and just what exactly are you talking about?"

Horatio was fully awake and alert now. "You're wearing that ugly orange checked tie, which by the way clashes with the suit, not to mention the hair, and you ask me why I'm staring. The tie is what I was talking about."

"It's not that bad, Horatio. Besides, it's one of my favorite ties."

The brunette sitting in front of him just blinked. "I am going to say this once and only once. No. I may not be able to put a stop to you wearing ties at all, but people will become suspicious if 'I' suddenly start wearing ties that have only been visibly worn in public by you."

"Fine." Rick snapped, yanking the knot loose in one swift motion before grinning at Horatio.

"What?"

"You can wear it then."

Horatio's mouth dropped open. "What did you say? You can't possibly have said what I thought you did when you know my issue with ties. Besides, that's not what I meant."

"Chicken."

Horatio ignored the other man's comment. Instead, he stood up enjoying the slight height advantage that he now had. "Rick, if you're going to wear ties as me, you can wear my solid ones, but none of your tie factory rejects please."

"Fine," Rick responded with a smirk.

Horatio frowned, that was way too easy. Then he caught sight of the other man's smirk. "What are you up to?"

"When we change back, I'm going to make a bet with you that you have to wear this tie for a day, and I get to pick the day so it may or may not be one you have to go to court."

Horatio looked horrified at the mere thought. "You can't be serious."

"Oh but I am."

"Well, it looks like I'm going to have to win that bet, whatever it is, then."

"We'll see." Rick said with a grin. _This is going to be fun_, he thought to himself.

"Not if I burn the tie first."

"Then it's coming with me and will be hidden. I need to keep it away from anything flammable so I get the pleasure of seeing you wearing it once we're back to normal.

When Rick passed by Horatio, the other man reached for the tie. However, Rick who had been expecting it, jerked it out of the other man's reach and stuck his tongue out at him.

"Nice try, Horatio."

Horatio refused to rise to the bait. "Just give me a call if you need help dealing with a hungry Richie."

"I think I can handle him, Horatio. By the way, I have my laptop on the charger in the den. If you do want to try and get some work done, the passwords that I have for work also work on it as well."

"Just what are you going to be doing then?"

"I'll be working on finishing up your paperwork so that it should be more manageable from now on. Before I packed up the folders that I needed to take home, I cleared a spot where you can actually see your desk. It was amazing. I don't think it's seen the light of day in ages."

"Rick, if that amazes you, then you seriously need to get out more."

"Very funny Horatio, while we're at it. Hello Pot, meet Kettle."

Horatio smirked. "Wow, that's original Rick."

The redhead rolled his eyes, finally getting a glimpse of how irritating he could be when he failed to keep his sarcasm in check. "On that note, I best be leaving. Need to get to your place." Rick added with a smirk.

xXxXx

Rick made good time. Not only had the traffic been cooperative, but he noticed that people did try to steer clear of the Hummer's way.

After pulling the big vehicle into the driveway, Rick killed the engine and got out. After pulling Horatio's keys from his pocket, he walked up to the door. It took him three tries before Rick finally found the right key. Once the door was open, he let himself inside only to be greeted by a very angry Richie who was snarling and hissing at him.

Startled by the sheer anger that the cat in front of him was demonstrating, having not believed Horatio when he had warned him, Rick held up his hands in the I surrender pose not that Richie knew what it meant, nor cared. "Sorry."

Instead, Richie snarled and maneuvered himself around so that he was behind Rick. The feline swiped at his ankles causing the man in front of him to hurry of in the direction of the kitchen. "I'm going… I'm going… SHIT! That hurt." He muttered to the cat when Richie managed to connect both of his front paws, claws extended, with the back of his left calf.

After that happened, Rick quickened his pace. He was thankful that he had watched Horatio feed Richie yesterday morning. Rick was rushing because he didn't want to be on the receiving end of the cat's claws anymore. In his hurry, his first attempt to open the cat food ended with the can crashing onto the cabinet loudly clattering. The noise startled Richie who raced up Rick's back, claws out, hissing loudly.

Rick gritted his teeth as he attempted to open the can a second time. This time around, he went a little slower. He smiled in relief when the can stayed on the can opener and didn't crash to the counter. As soon as Richie heard the can opener, he jumped down from Rick's head to the counter before nimbly leaping down to the floor where he calmly walked over to his food bowl and sat down tail curling up in front of him. The cat's reaction to the noise of the can opener caused Rick to roll his eyes.

He shook his head as the realization sank in that Horatio had not been exaggerating at all when he had warned Rick about the cat's mean temperament.

Once he had filled Richie's food bowl, and the cat had started eating, Rick grabbed the water bowl. After emptying out the old, he refilled the bowl with fresh water.

As soon as Rick had finished seeing about the cat's needs, he headed back outside. It took him a couple of trips, but he eventually managed to get both the boxes of paperwork brought inside.

After locking the door behind him, Rick grabbed one of the boxes and disappeared into the dining room. He deposited the box on the table, lifted the lid, pulled Horatio's notebook out of his suit pocket, and got to work filling out the forms.

Rick hadn't been working long when he decided to take a break. Putting the paperwork back in the box, he stood up and began to look around. _Horatio is probably doing the same at my house,_ he thought to himself as he slowly worked his way from room to room. Eventually, he made his way to the master bedroom. The previous night, he had been to busy trying to wrap his head around what had happened to them.

As he looked around, Rick came across a drawer that was locked. His curiosity getting the best of him, he pulled out Horatio's key ring and began trying each of the keys but none of them worked. Rick made a note to try and ask Horatio about it if he opportunity presented itself.

After looking around, in an attempt to find the key, and failing, the redhead returned to the dining room and the boxes of paperwork. He had managed to get a little over halfway through the first box, when suddenly a furry black body stepped into his field of vision. He tried to motion Richie away, but the cat stubbornly refused to budge. It seemed that he had other plans. The cat plopped his furry little butt right on top of the section that Rick had been filling out.

"What do you want?" Rick asked him as he laid his pen down on the table. Then, he grinned. If Richie had answered him, he'd be running for the hills screaming.

The cat continued to stare at Rick, who stared back in confusion. Both man and beast remained staring at each other until Richie sneezed. When that happened, Rick reached out tentatively with his hand and gently scratched the cat between his ears. That motion in turn caused Richie to scoot closer, wrinkling up the form that he was sitting on. Once the cat had his desired amount of attention, he jumped down from the table and disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared.

"Horatio, you have one weird cat." Rick muttered to no one in particular before returning to the paperwork.

It was getting late by the time Rick had worked his way through the first box. He smiled when he realized that he was halfway finished.

After deciding that he had earned himself a break, Rick stood up. He hadn't taken more than a step before his stomach growled and he froze. Then he grinned sheepishly when he remembered that he had once more forgotten to eat. _Well, at least Rose isn't here to carry out her threat_, he thought to himself. Then, he sighed as he shook his head sadly. Rose was the only person he really and truly missed.

Rick padded into the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator. As soon as he saw the contents he frowned. "Here, I thought my fridge was pitiful." He muttered, as he looked for something to make a meal with. Finally, he came across a package of ham. He cautiously opened the bag and sniffed. When it smelled okay, he pulled out the stuff needed to make a sandwich and proceeded to fix himself supper.

After eating the sandwich and cleaning up after himself, Rick decided to tackle the remainder of the paperwork once he woke up on Sunday. Yawning, he disappeared into Horatio's living room and, after pulling the hunter green afghan off the back of the couch and wrapped himself up in it, Rick curled up on the sofa. He reached for the remote and turned the television on. After flipping through the channels, he finally came to one that he not only recognized, but also enjoyed, CMT.

Rick set the remote down on the coffee table and settled back to watch the TV for a little while only to groan. It was almost as if Richie had been waiting for him to lay the control on the table. The cat jumped up onto the coffee table and landed on it, changing the channels, to a nature show of all the possibilities. Rick sighed, changed it back, and set it on the arm of the couch. It wasn't long before Richie had leaped from the coffee table to the sofa where he made himself at home on Rick's lap.

He waited a few minutes to see what the cat was going to do. At first Richie just sat there for a few minutes, until Rick reached over and gently scratched him between the ears once, then the cat jumped down and padded over to the arm chair where he curled up in it and was soon asleep. Rick shrugged, changed the channel back, and watched television for a little while enjoying the music.

After an hour or so had passed, Rick yawned. With a sigh, he clicked the TV off as he pulled the blanket off of himself. Afterwards, he quickly folded it in half before he placed it neatly on the back of the couch where he had taken it from. Then, after rubbing his eyes, Rick headed upstairs where he proceeded to get ready for bed. He told himself that he would finish up the remaining box of paperwork as soon as he woke up on Sunday. It had been a long day and he was exhausted. Rick fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Sunday flew by in a blur. Rick woke up somewhere around noon. After he had taken a quick shower and had gotten dressed for the day, he went downstairs and fed Richie. He did not want to be used as a human scratching post ever again.

Once he had seen to the cat's needs, Rick went about fixing himself some coffee. While he was waiting for that to brew, he put a couple of slices of bread into the toaster. While he was waiting, Rick's curiosity got the best of him and, he began looking around the kitchen. Horatio's cabinets were about as bad, if not worse, than his were. He chuckled at that observation.

The toaster chose that moment to spit out the two pieces of toast, causing Rick to snort in amusement. Here it was time for lunch, and he was eating breakfast food. Shrugging, he told himself that there was no one around that was going to get on his case about it. He opened the fridge and grabbed the butter, spreading it over his toast before fixing himself a cup of coffee.

Once he had finished eating and cleaned up what little mess he had made, Rick noticed that it was nearing one o'clock. "Time to get to work." He muttered under his breath as he retrieved the remaining box of paperwork and started working on it. This time he didn't have any interruptions and he still thanked his lucky stars that Horatio took excellent notes and had legible handwriting. After Rick had signed off on the last form, he glanced over at the clock. It surprised him to learn that it was only a little after six. He gave a contented little sigh, glad that the mountain of paperwork was no more. He loaded the folders back into the box as fast as he could before storing the box beside the other box.

Rick was sitting on the couch debating between calling Horatio right then to let him know that his paperwork had been completely caught up or waiting until morning. He had just decided that it would work out better if the other man knew sooner rather than later. He had just started to get up off the couch when he heard something thud to the floor. He turned in the direction of the sound and noticed that Richie had knocked the cordless phone off of the charger. "You did that on purpose didn't you?" He asked. Richie just looked at him, meowed loudly, and darted off.

Rick just shook his head before walking over and picking up the phone. It felt weird to be calling his house phone. He was surprised when Horatio picked up after only one ring. "That was quick."

"I was walking by the phone when it went off. You could have warned me that it was so loud."

"And you could have warned me about Richie's temper. So, we're even.

"I did warn you."

"You made it sound as if you were joking instead of being serious.

"Wait a minute, what happened?"

Rick could practically hear the other man smirking over the phone. "Never mind, I was just calling to let you know that all of your paperwork is caught up now."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Nope, I'm afraid not."

"So, I guess that by having it all caught up that you need the…"

"Yes. Tell you what. Why don't you come in, and meet me in 'your' office first thing in the morning?"

"Internal Affairs?" Horatio asked?

"No, I mean CSI. You can give it to me then. That way if something does happen I won't be caught unprepared."

Horatio chuckled at that. "That should be fun."

"Now, don't you go having too much fun."

"As you so eloquently put it when you were singing, 'too much fun, there's no such thing'. Which reminds me, I don't see how you can even remotely come close to carrying a tune in my body when I never could?"

Rick groaned loudly, causing Horatio to chuckle. "I'm not going to ever live that down am I?"

"Nope, you're not. I'm also giving you fair warning."

"Fair warning about what?"

"Once we change back, I want to hear you sing."

"I'd rather have a root canal. I hate singing in front of other people."

"Why is that?"

"This isn't something that I like to talk about over the phone, Horatio."

"Okay, I'll let it drop…"

Rick breathed a sigh of relief until he heard the rest of Horatio's sentence.

"…for now."

"You just had to do that didn't you?"

"Yes, I did."

Rick growled. He could hear his voice laughing over the phone without saying another word; he hit the phone button ending the call. Then he placed it back on the charger and went upstairs.

xXxXx

When Monday morning rolled around, Horatio wasn't sure what to expect. He strode into the building, pausing at the front desk to check if he had any messages. When he didn't have any, Horatio could honestly say that he wasn't surprised. He narrowed his eyes as he heard whispers and the occasional loud voice mutter comments about the rat squad and that was just covering the short distance across the lobby from the receptionist's desk to the elevator.

Horatio wasn't sure whether he should be upset or relieved that when the elevator opened, it was empty. He gave a little shrug, before punching the button for the crime lab's floor. The normally short ride, felt like an eternity. Horatio had the feeling that something was about to happen, but he had no idea what it could be. The elevator chimed signaling that it had reached its destination. As soon as the doors slid open, a brief hush fell across the room. The silence only lasted a couple of seconds before the chatter picked back up, but it was enough to get Horatio to thinking.

When they were back in their own bodies, Horatio wondered if Rick really wanted to stick around in IAB. So far, his brief stint in the department had already shown him a new side to the people he normally worked closely with on a daily basis. He had an idea and was trying figure out the best way on how to broach the subject with Rick when he literally bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry." Horatio apologized. "I wasn't looking where I was…" His voice drifted off as he recognized who he had bumped into. It was Yelina. The last he heard she was still in Brazil. "Yelina, what are you doing here?"

"It's none of your damn business, Rick. Just turn around and walk away."

"Yelina?"

"Do I honestly have to black another eye for you to get the message? You're not wanted around here."

"What… What are you talking about?" Horatio asked, shaking his head. He wasn't used to seeing that amount of hatred reflected in her eyes.

"Don't act dumb with me, Rick. You know as well as I do what I'm talking about. I'll admit it might be more fun to hit you, but then Horatio would want to know why." She smirked. "I wonder how he will react if I turned up with another black eye so soon after returning to Miami. You do remember how he reacted the last time don't you?"

Horatio's eyes narrowed in anger, as he shook his head slowly from side to side. Horatio glared at his sister-in-law, momentarily forgetting that he was in Rick's body.

XxXxX

Rick wondered what was taking Horatio so long. He knew that the other man was like him in that he would rather be early than even a minute late. He had been sitting at the other man's desk pretending to be working on paperwork. He chose that moment to glance out into the outer part of the lab and, the pencil that he had been absently twirling in his fingers snapped in half.

"What the HELL!" Rick shouted as he shot up out of his chair, slamming his left knee into the desk in the process. "Shit that hurt." He growled. "Take a deep breath." Rick told himself as he hurried out of his office trying to act calm and not run like the panicked rabbit he felt like.

xXxXx

Yelina seemed to be oblivious to the fact that she was treading on dangerous ground. "Or I could just spread the word that you aren't entirely straight." She continued on, ignoring the death glare that she was receiving. Horatio couldn't help but blink in surprise at that. He had just opened his mouth to respond when he was cut off by his own voice.

"Rick, what are you doing here?"

"I needed to speak with you Horatio."

"About what? Don't you have anything better to do than to hassle me and my team?" Rick growled, putting on the show that was expected of them, ignoring the pleased little smirk that briefly flashed across Yelina's face before disappearing altogether.

"Believe me when I say that I'd rather be anywhere but here. However, I needed to speak with you about a file that appeared on my desk during the Rachel Turner case." Horatio fought the urge to sigh in relief. At least the first thing that popped into his head was a credible reason. Although technically it had been 'his' desk and not Rick's that the file had made its appearance.

The fact that he had to think on his toes helped Horatio to get back into character. He knew that was what Rick had been trying to do when he had growled out his name.

Rick winced at the reminder of the Rachel Turner case. "We'll discuss that in my office not here in the middle of the crime lab. Go on ahead. I'll be there shortly."

Horatio gave Rick a curt nod before he stalked off in the direction of 'his' office.

Rick watched as Horatio stormed off, wincing when he heard the office door slam shut. If he wasn't mistaken, Rick thought he heard the glass in the door frame rattle. He slowly counted to ten in his head. As much as he wanted to talk to Yelina the way he just had to talk to Horatio, he knew that it would throw up all sorts of red flags.

He waited for just a moment after the door slammed before he turned around to face Yelina. Once he was positive that he had firm control over his voice, he spoke. "Yelina, what are you doing here?"

She frowned. "Horatio, I came to see how you were doing."

"Why? You could have just picked up the phone and dialed. It would have been a lot cheaper."

"When Tripp called and told me that you had been accused of murder, I knew that you would just bottle up your emotions and that isn't healthy."

_So, that was what Tripp was looking so guilty about on Friday_. Rick thought to himself, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm fine. It was just another person with a grudge."

"You've got enough of that already without having to add someone new into the mix." Yelina replied, tilting her head in the direction of 'his' office.

Rick groaned inwardly because the woman was just not leaving. He dared to risk a glance towards Horatio's office and saw that Horatio was still glaring in their direction. He gave his head a small shake. Rick managed not to flinch when the hand on his shoulder caught him by surprise. Instead, in a surprisingly calm voice, he asked Yelina a simple question. "What are you doing?"

She didn't answer his question. Instead, she stated a very obvious fact. "You're tense."

_Gee, I wonder why. It might have something to do with the fact that you're here_. Rick thought to himself as he struggled to keep some sort of control over his mouth. "Big surprise there."

"I bet that I can make you relax."

Rick couldn't stop himself. "Do tell."

He didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but Yelina failed to notice the sarcasm that was laced in his voice. "Let me cook dinner for you and we can catch up on things."

_Oh goodie, is poison included as an appetizer. Oh wait, she thinks you're Horatio better watch out for roofies._ Instead, he looked around the lab. "Where's Ray J?"

"He's staying with my mom."

_Crap,_ Rick thought to himself.

Before she could say anything else, 'his' cell phone started ringing. _Perfect timing_, he thought to himself. "Caine." He barked into the phone.

Yelina just nodded and mouthed an 'I'll call you later' before she turned around and walked off.

_Not if I unplug the phone from the wall, _Rick thought to himself.

"Rick, did it work?"

The redhead stole a glance in the direction of 'his' office and saw that Horatio was standing there with his back to the door, phone to his ear, giving the illusion that he was trying to be secretive. Rick gave a small smile. "Yes, it did. Perfect timing." _Thank God he was smart enough to figure out something that would get her to leave._

"Good. Now I need for you to walk calmly towards your office and, when you arrive, I want you to slowly close the blinds. We need to have a talk."


	15. Chapter 15

Slipping inside the office, Rick began to slowly close the blinds. He definitely missed his office and the four actual walls. Once he had closed all the blinds giving them some semblance of privacy, Rick took a deep breath and schooled his features before he turned around to face the other man. The Horatio Caine death glare was still present and it didn't look as if it was going to be disappearing anytime soon, despite it being 'Rick' who was using it.

"That glare looks so out of place on my face."

"Is there something that you neglected to mention?" Horatio asked, ignoring the other man's comment.

"What did she say?" Rick demanded, evading Horatio's question with one of his own.

"About what? There were several interesting things that she mentioned when she thought that she was talking to you."

Rick groaned, falling into his chair and dropping his head down onto the desk. However, before Horatio could say something about it, Rick raised his head and looked over at him. "I know. I know. 'Stop hitting your head on the furniture.'"

"If you know, then why do you keep doing it?"

"Because I'm used to having a hard head." Rick winced as soon as those words those words had escaped his mouth. Sure enough, it caused Horatio to laugh at that.

"Nice one, Rick."

"Well, at least you stopped glaring." Rick retorted, shrugging before going back to the seriousness that the situation required. He motioned for Horatio to have a seat.

He watched as Horatio pushed the chair closer to his desk before stepping around the chair and taking a seat. "So, why didn't you choose to tell me what really happened between you and Yelina?"

"As to the reason why I didn't tell you about what really happened, it's simple."

"What was it?"

"You would never in a million years have believed me."

"Why do you say that?"

Rick arched an eyebrow at that. "You're asking me that?"

"Yes, I am. Now can you please answer the question?"

"Horatio, the way you feel about your family is as legendary as our spats. If I had told you before all of this," Rick began as he motioned at himself and then at Horatio, "there is no doubt in my mind that you would have accused me of lying and trying to meddle in things that I had no business in. Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that you would have reacted any different?"

Horatio ducked his head, knowing that he was busted and that Rick had indeed made a valid point. He took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. "You're right." Horatio admitted before a surprised look appeared on his face when he realized that he had said it out loud.

Rick can honestly say he was shocked. He never thought that he'd hear those words coming out of Horatio's mouth. Then again, technically they came out of his but that was beside the point. "If it's any consolation, I know where you were coming from now." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck as he remembered the conversation they had Friday night.

He gave his head a small shake because as much as he didn't want to know the answer to the question, he needed to hear it. "So, what did she say?"

"She said something about blacking another eye. It didn't matter whose."

Rick nodded his head slowly. "I had expected her to say something along those lines. Did she say anything else to you?"

Horatio ducked his head, frowning as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah…"

"And, what was it?"

"Do you honestly want to know?" Horatio asked, tilting his head as he looked over at Rick.

Rick frowned. That didn't sound good at all. "Yes, Horatio, I do."

"Are you sure that you really want to know?"

"Just blurt it out and get it over with."

"Fine. She threatened to leak it out to the department that you weren't entirely straight." Horatio took a step closer to the desk and looked down at Rick. "Was there any truth to what she said?"

"Oh God," Rick groaned as he went to slam his head down onto the desk once more. Horatio, who had been expecting it and was already standing up by that point, grabbed the back of Rick's suit coat and pulled, stopping Rick from slamming his head down onto the desk. He grinned when that proved successful.

"Why did you stop me?" Rick asked, once Horatio had released his grip on the suit coat.

Horatio didn't answer. Instead, he tilted his head to the side as he looked took a closer look at Rick. "You're blushing, aren't you?"

"Thanks for stating the obvious once again, Horatio." Rick muttered without looking up. He was wondering if it was possible for him to crawl under the desk but knowing his luck, he'd get stuck and then have to suffer further embarrassment of having to be cut out from underneath it.

"So it is true then?"

Rick couldn't help but notice that it was more of a statement than a question. He sighed deeply before looking over at Horatio. "Yes."

The brunette frowned as he took a step back and glared at Rick. "Then why did you go out with her?"

Rick sighed. "It was a way to get a reaction out of you. If I could, I'd go back in time and never done that."

"Why?"

"Because of Yelina's reaction when she found out that I was…" Rick's voice trailed off as he glanced towards the door.

"How on earth did she discover that anyways?"

When Horatio glanced over at Rick, he saw that the blush was not only spreading, but deepening as well. "Oh."

"Ever so eloquent, Horatio."

"So what exactly did she mean by her comment about blacking out eyes?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful about the topic change, but it's all still connected."

"Don't worry; I'm not going to judge you."

"That would be a first." Rick retorted, biting back a laugh. Then, as if someone had flipped a switch he realized something. "You're taking this news rather well considering if she does carry out her threat it will be you facing the consequences. Since everyone, including her, thinks you are me."

"Rick, I'm being serious." Horatio stated as he sat back down in the chair parked in front of 'his' desk.

Rick raised an eyebrow at the man sitting in front of him. "And you're saying this why?"

Horatio stood back up and walked calmly over to the outer wall, lifting up the blinds before peering out in order to make sure that no one was near enough to eavesdrop. He remembered only too well, Chief Burton's warning that there was a mole in the lab. Horatio also couldn't forget the rumor mill as well.

When he saw that there was no one nearby, Horatio sighed in relief as walked back over to where Rick was sitting at 'his' desk. He couldn't believe that he was about to tell Rick of all people this, but the two of them needed to be on the same wavelength. "The reason why I'm taking this so well is because if I freaked out it would be very hypocritical of me."

Rick frowned, wondering if Horatio needed to have his hearing checked. There was no way he had heard the other man correctly. He made a note to clean his ears out. Rick took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He could only see two possible options. He had either misheard Horatio, or this was some kind of sick joke.

Horatio watched Rick closely, trying to figure out what the other man was thinking. He was having a hard time because he wasn't used to reading own face. "Rick?"

When Rick looked up he was staring into his own brown eyes. Frowning, he held the gaze. "Okay, Horatio, the joke's over. You've had your fun so just stop it."

"What joke? What are you talking about Rick?"

He fought the urge to snap at Horatio. He had so wanted to say 'You know good and well what I'm talking about and it isn't funny'. But as he stared at him, Rick saw both concern and confusion but there were no signs of him being 'greater than thou'.

Rick frowned. "You aren't kidding are you?"

Horatio simply arched an eyebrow. "Have you known me to kid about anything Rick?"

Rick snorted at that. "Come on, Horatio. I'm serious"

"No, I wasn't kidding. Why would I do something like that?"

"Well, maybe it was because of the simple fact that for the last two years I've made your life a living hell." Rick didn't say it, but there was no way that Horatio could miss the implied 'Duh' at the end of the sentence.

Horatio rolled his eyes at that. "And here I was thinking that we had gotten past all of that and were beginning to get to know each other."

"Well excuse me if I find it hard to believe that you are gay."

"More like bi but that is beside the point."

Rick's eyebrows shot skywards at that comment. He could have made a smartass comment about that and, if he had learned of this as little as four days ago, despite the fact that it would have been hypocritical he'd have said it anyway. Instead, he swallowed deeply as he shook his head. "You kept it hidden very well. I never would have guessed. Is that why you didn't react too much to what Nahia said Friday night?"

Horatio gave Rick a pained smile. "That's kind of the point, isn't it? You know that our profession can be somewhat homophobic at times. I've heard the comments as I'm sure you have."

Rick found himself nodding in agreement with Horatio. "Very true. It always irks me that men who would protect each other no matter what, will suddenly be late arriving at a scene if they ever learn someone has a different preference than they do."

"I agree with you on that, Rick."

Rick laughed. "Now that's something that I never thought I'd ever hear you say."

Horatio chuckled briefly at that comment. When he went quiet, Rick glanced over and saw that he was frowning. "What is it Horatio?"

"Let me take a stab at something."

"And that would be?"

"Yelina was the person that leaked your personal email address to the department wasn't she?"

"You get a gold star." Rick retorted before he could help himself. He nodded his head as he tried to get his brain cooperating again. It seemed that the news he had learned surprised him more than he let on. "That was the biggest mistake of my life."

"What was?"

"Asking that woman out when she isn't my type. Hell for that matter, she was as far from my type as you could go." Then, as if realizing that he had said too much, Rick shut up.

"Mistake?" Horatio questioned, curiosity clearly evident in his voice.

Rick had to laugh at that. After everything he had just said, Horatio picked up on the word 'mistake'. "She never was interested in me. Not really sure why I put up with it for as long as I did. Besides, it was one of the few times we ever did anything with the same purpose in mind… Shit!"

Rick cursed, wincing as soon as those words had left his mouth. He'd said too much already. With the lessened hostility between the two of them, he had relaxed too much and now he was saying things that were better off being left unspoken.

Horatio narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What are you talking about Rick? You lost me. I don't understand what 'mistake' has to do with all that you just said."

"Horatio, will you please just drop it?" Rick was speaking carefully because the last thing he needed was to sound like he was whining which he was dangerously close to doing.

"I'll drop it whenever you start making some sort of sense. Right now you are being very evasive."

"FINE!" Rick snapped.

Both men winced when Rick raised his voice. Horatio glared at him before he walked over to the door. He carefully lifted the blinds and noticed that a couple of the lab techs, Benton and Travers, were staring very openly in their direction but made no move to approach. Most likely they were too afraid and valued their lives enough so as not to risk interrupting much less stepping in between the two enemies. Horatio let the blind drop back into place as he stalked back over to stand in front of the desk.

"Could you say that a little louder? I don't think that Alexx heard you down in the morgue."

"Which is probably a good thing." Rick admitted, shivering when he thought of what Alexx might do to them.

Horatio sighed and shook his head. "Rick, just stop. I've had enough of your failed attempts at distracting me. Now, come on and tell me what on earth you are talking about."

"Are you sure that you want to know?"

"We both know that you're just stalling now." Horatio gave a brief smile. "This conversation is starting to sound very familiar."

"Okay, you win. Don't look so smug." Rick sighed. He should have known that he wouldn't get away with trying to distract the other man. There were times when Horatio could give him a run for his money in the stubbornness department.

"With Yelina, it was because she just wanted to make you jealous. With me, I just wanted to get your attention any way that I could. I never expected that you… that I might…" Rick groaned. He could feel the blush that had finally disappeared coming back with a vengeance.

Horatio's eyebrows shot skywards. He couldn't help but smirk as he watched the blush not only reappear but spread. He was beginning to enjoy watching the blush appear on his face. Horatio wondered if he could make Rick blush once they had switched back to their normal bodies.

Rick chose that moment to raise his head and glance over at Horatio. When he did, what he saw caused him to groan. The other man was clearly amused. "What are you smirking about?"

"I was just wondering how easy or difficult it would be to make you blush once we change back to normal." Horatio answered him, not even bothering to hide the amusement that he felt.

Rick groaned again, as his eyes flicked about his office as if he were searching for something.

"Don't even think about it, Rick."

"How did you know?"

"I saw that you were looking around my office for some kind of hard object to slam your… no, my head into."

"You're taking this news well, again."

"Truth be told, you've grown on me Rick."

Rick frowned. "Are you comparing me to a wart?" He asked, clearly confused.

Horatio rolled his eyes. "It was supposed to have been a compliment."

"Well, you certainly have a funny way of showing it."

Horatio cleared his throat and ducked his head staring at the floor as if the carpet was the most interesting shade he had ever seen. Horatio mumbled something, but Rick couldn't make out exactly what he had said.

"What did you say? I couldn't quite hear you."

Rick quirked an eyebrow when he noticed the faintest trace of a blush on 'his' face. "I said, so where do we go from here?"


	16. Chapter 16

Rick's other eyebrow skyrocketed to join the other. Of all the things he'd expected to hear from the other man that was certainly not one of them. "Normally, if by some miracle we were getting along and this conversation came up, I would be suggesting that we try and see where it would take us…" He let his voice drift off, as he gave his head a small shake.

"But…?"

"But quite frankly, it would be too weird if we tried to start something like that right now with you being me and me being you."

Horatio found himself nodding along in agreement. "You've got a very good point there." Their current situation was strange enough without them purposely adding a whole new dimension of weirdness to the mix. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it without so much as a sound escaping.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing, Rick."

"Don't give me any of that bull, Horatio. I could tell that you were about to say something, so spit it out." Rick demanded.

Horatio's blush deepened. "I was going to suggest something."

"What _exactly_ were you going to suggest?" Rick pressed, putting extra emphasis on 'exactly'.

"I thought that maybe after we return to our bodies, we could give it a try and see where it takes us. That is, if you want to." Horatio ducked his head as he mumbled through that last part. "In the meantime, it's up to us to make the best of our current situation while we do our best to figure out what we need to do to change back."

Rick grinned. He had wanted to yell 'IF I WANT TO?' but he knew that wasn't a good idea. This was especially true when he had slipped up once already. Horatio raising his voice once during a conversation with Rick was unusual but, if it happened twice, they would have people coming in to see what was going on and they'd most likely end up bringing reinforcements.

Rick chuckled softly at that. As much as Yelina was a pain in his ass, along with the fact that she would continue to make his life a living hell, Rick would have sent her a thank you card. He smirked. If it wasn't for her, embarrassing as it had been for some of that information to come to the forefront, then this conversation would not have happened. Instead, he gave Horatio a small smile. "Sounds like a plan." Rick agreed, before walking around the desk coming to a stop in front of it. He then sat down on the edge and glanced up at Horatio. "I also have a small suggestion."

"What would that be?"

"We could use the time that we're stuck like this to get to know each other better..."

Horatio raised his head and gave the other man a small smile. "That's a good idea and I agree."

Before Rick had a chance to say anything in response, he was interrupted by both of their phones going off at the same time. The redhead winced because 'Won't Get Fooled Again' and 'Kick My Ass' didn't mesh very well at all. Instead, the two ringtones clashed horribly.

"That can't be good," Horatio commented.

Rick nodded his head in agreement as he fumbled with the phone, eventually managing to extract it from his pocket.

Horatio dug the phone out of his pocket, and flipped it open before he barked "Stetler" into it. The fact that he was standing there looking at himself helped him to remember how he was supposed to be answering the phone.

"Rick, don't shoot the messenger. We've had a situation to crop up."

Horatio frowned as he heard Rick say something along the lines of "Yes, Chief." Giving his head a small shake, Horatio did his best to tune out Rick as he spoke into the phone. "What is it Major?"

There was a loud sigh from the other end. "Rick, how many times do I need to tell you to call me Michael unless the situation formally demands for otherwise? Never mind, that's not important. What is important is that Chief Burton wants IAB to work closely with the CSI's and, in this case, Lieutenant Caine's team in particular…"

Both of Horatio's eyebrows skyrocketed. This _was _different. "What is the situation?"

"Henry Darius just escaped from custody. The plane that they were transporting him on just crashed. Not only that, but reports say that he shot and killed four teenagers along with the pilot and copilot."

"What the…" Horatio growled, barely stopping himself in time to keep from saying that 'he' had told the Chief that it wasn't a good idea in the first place. He winced when he realized how close he had come to slipping up. That was something that 'Horatio' had done, not Rick.

"Like I said, don't shoot the messenger Rick. Where are you anyway? I've been looking all over the place for you. At least you had your cell phone on."

"Sorry about that. Would you believe that I'm down on the Crime Lab's floor?"

"Not causing trouble, I hope."

Horatio laughed. "For once I can honestly say no, I wasn't. Someone else was."

"Lieutenant Caine should be getting a call from the Chief anytime now since it was the Chief's idea in the first place to fly Henry Darius down here."

"I'll head towards his office now."

"Rick?"

"Sir?"

"Don't let Caine push your buttons and try you hardest not to push his. This situation is going to be volatile enough as it is."

"Your concern is duly noted." Horatio reported trying his hardest not to laugh, luckily he had a lot of practice in that regard._ If they only knew_, he thought to himself with a smirk.

He ended his call and stood there, waiting for Rick to finish with his. "Idiot." Rick muttered under his breath once he was safely off the phone.

"No arguments form me on that one."

Rick smirked. "Do you want to get people talking?" He asked, lowering his voice to a whisper.

Horatio paused, shaking his head, as he looked over at Rick. With the conversation they were having before the Chief and Major called, he wasn't sure exactly what Rick had in mind. He was still having a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that Yelina had led him to believe that Stetler had been like his father. "Rick?"

"I mean, since we are going to have to be working closely alongside each other on this case anyways…"

Horatio quirked an eyebrow at the other man. "What exactly do you have in mind, Rick?"

"Nothing major, Horatio, I promise. I just thought that we could save time and go in the same vehicle to the crime scene."

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Horatio said with a grin, causing Rick to blink warily. That small, sly smile of Horatio's looked completely out of place as well as positively scary on this face.

Rick's smirk got bigger. "After you?" he said, making a play bow. "You storm out, and I'll follow."

Horatio winked before he took in a deep breath. After letting it out, he shot Rick one last smirk before he stormed over to the door and jerked it open so hard that it rattled on its hinges. "If you INSIST, Horatio, although I think a root canal would be much more preferable. The crime scene isn't going to wait all day. Get a move on."

When Rick stepped out of his office, he saw that Valera was standing in the doorway of the DNA lab watching on as Benton and Travers were looking at each other with a 'did that just happen' look on their faces. It was all that Rick could do to not burst out laughing when he saw their reactions.

Instead, he just glared at Horatio. "Don't get lost on your way down to the parking garage. I'd hate to have to explain to the Chief that the reason we were late was because you got LOST in the building that you work in."

"I know where I'm going, Horatio. Just don't forget where you're going. So, zip it and get a move on, or is that as fast as you can walk." Horatio added with a wave and a smirk as the elevator doors slid closed.

Travers glanced over in the redhead's direction when he heard that. Rick however was already striding towards the elevator with the glare still present on his face.

Luckily, the second elevator arrived at that moment, its doors sliding open with a loud ding. Rick waited until the doors had slid shut before he lost the battle of trying to hold in the laughter. He doubled over, holding his sides, as he burst out laughing. He narrowed his eyes. Wonderful, he thought to himself. On top of everything else, now his throat was sore. Now that the two of them were simply putting on a show it was almost criminal how much fun they were having.

Rick used the mirrored walls of the elevator to smarten himself back up. Once he was looking presentable once more, Rick smirked. When they got back to normal he was going to make it a point to see how many times in one day he could get Horatio to laugh. It was be an interesting challenge and one that he was willing to tackle.

Horatio was waiting for him at the Hummer. He was leaning casually against the passenger side door with his eyes closed and his arms folded across his chest. "It took you long enough. Are you sure that you didn't get lost?"

"Knock it off, Horatio. There's no one around for you to put on a show for. You know as well as I do that I didn't. Besides, a certain _someone_ let the elevator close before I could get in." Rick retorted, as he unlocked the Hummer.

"Funny how things like that always seem to happen when you least expect it." Horatio replied as he opened the passenger door and climbed inside. He sighed contentedly. "Finally a vehicle with some leg room."

"Don't you start talking about my car."

"Then get something bigger, otherwise I will."

Rick rolled his eyes as he cranked the vehicle. Once again, he was met with just the sound of the engine running. This was one drive that he didn't think that he could tolerate in silence. "Don't you ever listen to the radio?"

"Occasionally, I do."

"Define occasionally. Is that like once a year or something?"

"Rick, for your information, I do turn on the radio whenever I'm in stuck in a traffic jam. You know, when I'm not in a vehicle with sirens that I can use to get around."

"I stand corrected…" Rick began and waited until Horatio was nodding with a smile on his face before he continued. "…It's more like once every two years then." That wiped the grin off of Horatio's face.

"That was low."

"But it was the truth. Mind if I listen to the radio?"

"You're me and driving the Hummer, go right ahead."

Needing no further encouragement, he punched the power button bringing the radio to life before searching around for a bit before finally locating his favorite station. He promptly laughed as he recognized the first few notes of the song that was playing. In response to Horatio's raised eyebrow, Rick answered the unspoken question. "This is that song you had me to sing. 'Too Much Fun'. That has to be a sign." Rick muttered that last part to himself.

xXxXx

"Horatio, we're almost there." He said, gently shaking the other man awake.

"Huh?"

"Wake up; we're almost at the scene." If possible the smirk that Rick was sporting got bigger. "It's time to get back into character."

"If that's true," Horatio retorted before a yawn silenced him.

"If that was true, then what?"

Horatio chuckled softly, as he sat up in the passenger seat wiping the sleep from his eyes. Rick quirked an eyebrow at that, but remained silent, knowing that Horatio would answer his question when he was ready which Rick hoped would be soon because with every second that passed they were drawing closer to their destination.

"If that's true, then you might want to wipe that smirk off of your face."

"And you might want to look a little more upset."

The two men had succeeded in getting into character just as they pulled up to the crash site. The reactions they received caused both men to glance briefly at each other and share a secretive smirk before they got their game faces back on. The stunned looks on Tripp's face along with that of the team were just priceless.

Rick brought the Hummer to a smooth stop and killed the engine. Both men sat there, fighting to keep serious expressions on their faces as Calleigh stopped dead in her tracked causing Eric to walk right into her which resulted in her kit crashing to the ground. Tripp's mouth dropped open as he stared in their direction.

"Showtime." Horatio muttered under his breath, mouth hardly moving as Rick gave a curt nod of his head in agreement.

They shared one last smile, which Horatio allowed to morph into a grimace of disgust as he grabbed a pair of gloves out of the glove compartment. Huffing loudly, Horatio threw open the door and got out, slamming it behind him. Without saying a word, he stormed off to go and have a look around the perimeter. He wasn't surprised to see the narrowed eyes of the patrol officers that were on scene. Nor was he surprised when they pointedly turned his back on him and refused to acknowledge his presence. He had witnessed this behavior previously although it was from a different perspective.

_Do not call Tripp an idiot for calling Yelina. Don't call Tripp an idiot for calling Yelina._ Rick kept repeating to himself mentally as he approached the other man.

"What is he doing here?" Tripp asked, jerking his head in Horatio's direction.

"Chief Burton wanted IAB to work closely with my team," he growled. "Rick just happened to be in my office when the calls came in."

"That sucks." Trip replied with a frown before giving Rick a hard clap on his shoulder. "Tough luck. I'm amazed."

"Amazed about what Frank?"

"That you managed to make it from the Crime Lab to here without kicking his sorry ass out of the Hummer and making him walk."

Biting back the growl that threatened to escape, Rick just smirked. "Easy. He actually slept most of the way."

"Then, you were definitely lucky."

Rick paused, surveying the scene before him. With his job, he didn't get called out the field very much and, of those times when he was, children were rarely involved. He swallowed deeply, determination rising. If it was in his power, he wasn't going to let Darius get away with this.

There were four teenagers all lying close together. It had appeared that two were shot before they had a chance to realize what was happening. The other two had, apparently, tried to run and had been gunned down.

Not wanting to waste anymore time hearing the other man continually putting him down, Rick pushed the sunglasses back up before he cleared his throat. By that time the pilot and marshal had been pulled from the plane. Giving a nod of his head in the direction of the plane, he directed his next question at Tripp in hopes of getting him back on track. "Is the copilot dead too, Frank?"

Luckily for him, the Texan quickly took the hint. "Yeah," he replied, getting down to business with his normal no nonsense attitude. "He's still inside."

Horatio, who had already completed his circuit around the perimeter, stood behind Tripp. He bit back the growl when 'his' friend was asking Rick about their car ride together, He had to admit he was impressed at how easily Rick handled it before seamlessly directing the conversation back to where it should have been in the first place on the crime scene and the victims. Rick gave him a barely noticeable quirk of the eyebrows to let him know that Rick knew he was standing there.

"What's going on here?" Horatio asked, fighting back the smirk that threatened to appear when Tripp jumped obviously startled.

"How long have you been standing there?" He growled.

"Long enough," Horatio growled back before walking off in the direction of the downed plane.

"When did he start moving so silently?" Tripp asked, once Horatio was out of earshot.

"It's been a few days," Rick admitted. "He's even snuck up on me a couple of times."

Frank raised an eyebrow and laughed at that. "Get serious, Horatio. Everyone knows that it's damn near impossible for anyone to sneak up on you."

Rick shrugged. "Everyone has their off-days, Frank. Even me."

He saw Horatio entering the plane and was already on the move when he heard his voice ring out nice and loud. "Caine, you might want to get yourself in here."

"What do you want Stetler?" Rick retorted as he entered the plane.

"I found something interesting over here. Thought you might want to get Mr. Wolfe in here to take pictures."

Rick looked around to make sure that they were still alone and that no one else had entered the plane. "What did you find Horatio?" He asked, relaxing somewhat.

Horatio was squatting down, head tilted, as he stared at something that Rick couldn't quite make out. He found himself moving up behind the other man. "Rick, the floor panel was off. Take a look at the pipe down there and tell me what it is that you see."

"There's a hole in it."

"Very good, but that's not all. Look closer." Horatio refrained from pointing as he was trying to see if Rick might have a hidden potential for being a great crime scene investigator.

This was definitely proving to be more interesting than what he did in internal affairs on a daily basis; Rick thought to himself as he quirked an eyebrow. He had a feeling that Horatio was testing him, but for what purpose he didn't know. Instead, he gave his head a small shake as he needed to focus and Horatio was waiting for him to answer.

"It's on top of a bunch of wires."

"Good. Anything else catch your attention?"

"There's some stuff," Rick frowned as he tried to think what the right word was that he wanted. "Some insulation," he answered with a grin as the right word popped into his head. "It's sticking to the pipe but, where is the rest of it? There should be more than this."

Horatio smiled, Rick _was_ good at this. He was going to have to sit down and have a talk with him about what he wanted to do once they returned to normal. "That, Rick, is an excellent question. However, before we can look any further though, we need to get pictures taken."

Rick nodded his head in agreement, knowing that Horatio was right but also regretting that the teaching moment was over. He wasn't afraid to admit that he enjoyed it. With a sigh, he backtracked his way to the plane's door. He gave one last look back at Horatio who hadn't budged from his spot. "Mr. Wolfe!" He called, looking for the team's newest member.

Rick didn't have to wait for long. He heard Ryan's voice before he saw the man. "I'm here, H. What is it that you need me to do?"

"I want you to bring your camera and come inside. I need you to take some pictures."

"Sure thing."

When Ryan first boarded the plane, he froze in surprise. He hadn't expected to see Stetler. He had thought that Eric was on the plane. Wolfe remembered seeing Delko board the plane but he must have left when Rick had entered rather than risk an ill-timed confrontation with the IAB Sergeant.

"What do you need me to take pictures of, H?"

"Rick will show you since he was the one that discovered it."

His boss' answer caused Ryan's eyebrows to skyrocket but he said nothing as he awaited his instructions.

"Take pictures of this pipe as well as the cover to the floor panel." Horatio stated, as he stood up and moved out of the way so that Ryan could have better access in order to take the pictures.

"I'll send Calleigh in shortly to dust for prints."

Horatio couldn't help but smile at that. It was something that he hadn't mentioned, yet Rick had thought of on his own. He could have shoved past Rick, but instead he chose to walk past him normally.

Rick stood in the doorway for a few seconds before he decided to follow Horatio off the plane. "What are you thinking?" He asked before lowering his voice so that the other man would be the only one that could hear what he was about to say. "Thanks."

Horatio gave him a small nod to acknowledge that he not only heard but understood what Rick had meant.


	17. Chapter 17

"I was just thinking that if that was a cooling pipe…" Horatio started.

"…then when it was punctured, it would have released…"

"…hot air." Horatio finished up with a grin.

Rick nodded his head, his mind already thinking up possibilities as he looked around. He knew that Wolfe was inside taking pictures and he saw that Calleigh was carefully examining the area around the plane. Which reminded Rick that he had told Wolfe that he would send Calleigh in to help him. That left Eric.

"Calleigh?"

"Yes, H?"

"I need you to go inside and dust for prints. Wolfe will show you what areas to focus on."

"Sure thing, Horatio."

Rick watched as she grabbed her kit and disappeared into the plane's cabin. He then stood there and surveyed the crime scene looking for the remaining member of the team.

The redhead finally spotted Eric pacing up and down alongside the dirt road that ran parallel to where the plane had crashed. It appeared as if Delko was muttering under his breath. However, from this distance, he couldn't make out what the younger man was saying. Rick started to call out to him by his last name but, luckily in the nick of time he remembered that Wolfe was the only person on the team that Horatio called by his last name on a regular basis. He made a mental note to ask about that later as now was not the time to worry about a silly thing like that. Giving his head a small shake, he returned to the task at hand. "Eric, could you come over here for a moment?"

"On my way, H." Eric answered, stopping his pacing at once as he hurried over to stand in front of his boss.

"Eric, I need you to get in contact with the local area hospitals to see if anyone has shown up for treatment of burns on their arms or hands."

"Don't you need me here, Horatio? Couldn't Wolfe do it?"

"Wolfe is inside taking pictures. Calleigh is with him, dusting for prints. Both are doing their jobs." Rick was struggling hard trying not to snap at the other man for questioning his orders. From the way that Horatio was gritting his teeth, he could honestly say that the other man felt the same way he did.

"What about him?" Eric asked, pointing his finger in Horatio's direction. "Certainly that's something that could be delegated to the Internal Affairs tagalong. Besides, what has he done besides just standing around?"

Horatio's eyebrows shot skywards, but he didn't say anything. He just gave a barely noticeable nod of his head to Rick. Horatio bit back the smirk for now, knowing that it would definitely surface in a few minutes.

Rick's eyebrows rose at that comment. Luckily, he still had the sunglasses on. "Actually Eric, you might be surprised to learn the answer to that last question."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Actually, I believe that Rick was the one that discovered how Darius and his unknown accomplice most likely brought the plane down."

Eric stood there, looking between both men his mouth opening and closing a couple of times without any sound coming out before he finally found his voice. "He did WHAT?"

"Rick is the person who discovered the puncture in the cooling duct, which is most likely what led to the plane crashing. Now," Rick said, lowering his voice. Horatio, having a feeling that he knew what was coming, walked off to give them some semblance of privacy but he didn't go too far in case he had to step in, which he doubted. Rick was doing a very good job of acting like him. Horatio was surprised at that.

Rick was a little surprised when Horatio walked off, but he had a feeling that he knew why the other man had done it. He cleared his throat before he started to speak. "Now, I don't know what is going on with you, but lately your attitude is becoming something of a problem."

Eric's eyes narrowed, hardly believing that Horatio was saying this in front of Stetler. Speaking of which, he was surprised that the other man hadn't interrupted already. He glanced around and was surprised when he noticed that Stetler had walked off. Rick gave him a look that plainly said 'do I look stupid to you' but he said nothing, instead waiting for the other man to speak.

Eric took a deep breath before he slowly let it out. "I'm sorry, H. It's just that I have some personal issues going on."

"Personal or not," Rick said, speaking softly, "they're starting to affect your work performance. While you're contacting the hospitals, I want you to use that time to think." Rick thought about ending the conversation there, but he knew how Horatio felt that the team was part of his family. Hell, the whole lab and police force knew and no one except him had been one to attempt risking that wrath by messing with them. So, Rick gave Eric a small, understanding smile. It was one that he had seen Horatio, from a distance, use when he was having a private moment with one of his team. "If you ever need someone to talk to, my door is always open." With that, he dismissed the other man who walked off with his head low.

Horatio waited a few minutes after Eric left before he approached Rick. "Should I be worried at how well you can act like me?"

"No more worried than I should be at how well you can be 'me'."

Horatio chuckled softly at Rick's comment before he tensed up all traces of amusement gone in an instant. "I'll go and see if I can find the black box." He stated as he quickly walked off towards the plane leaving Rick frowning in confusion.

"What was that about?" Tripp asked gruffly as he walked up, coming to a stop beside Rick.

"Not a clue, Frank. Not a clue." Though, in all actuality, Tripp's presence was probably the answer in itself. Horatio must have seen Frank walking up and that was why he had made such a hasty exit. He nodded his head knowing that must have been the reason when he saw that Calleigh, who was stepping off of the plane, was carrying an orange box in her hands.

Frank cleared his throat, redirecting Rick's attention back to him. "I notified New York."

_That's not all the notifying that you've done, is it Frank?_ Rick thought to himself, but kept a firm hold on his tongue which was surprisingly getting easier. "Appreciate it."

"Detective Taylor sends you his regards and has offered his services if you want it."

"He's a good man." Rick replied, not knowing what else to say. He'd heard nothing but good things about the man from the seminars he had gone to. Rick was good at fading into the background when he wanted to and he usually did so at those times. He saw Horatio standing not too far away, giving his head a slight nod of agreement. To the casual observer, it was as if he was nodding at the patrol officers that were coming and going, when he was actually letting Rick know that he agreed with him without actually saying anything.

Before anything else could be said, Rick frowned. Horatio's cell phone began to ring and it was getting louder every second. He sighed. "I have to take this." Frank nodded and walked off to give him some privacy.

Horatio raised an eyebrow. He had a pretty good idea about who it was that was on the other end of the line. Sure enough, it was confirmed a few minutes later when he heard Rick speak into the phone. "Chief, when we know something, you will be the first to know." Rick rolled his eyes. Chief Burton just did not seem to be taking the hint and Rick couldn't just end the call. After what seemed like forever, the other man finally ended the call. "I was beginning to wonder if he even knew how to stop talking." Rick muttered to himself as he shoved the phone back into his pocket.

"Hey H, I think I found something." Ryan called out as he stepped off of the plane. Out of habit, Horatio turned around just as Rick did the same. Luckily, Horatio managed to keep his mouth shut and refrained from asking his newest team member what it was that he had found.

Rick took a deep breath to help get his mind where he needed to be. The last thing he needed was to absentmindedly snap at someone because the chief of police had irritated him. That was something Rick would do, not Horatio Caine.

Once he had a handle over his emotions, Rick walked over to where Ryan was standing in front of the plane. "What did you find Mr. Wolfe?"

Rick would have had to have been blind to miss the way Ryan briefly tensed up at being called 'Mr. Wolfe'.

"I found a loose screw lying by itself near the open floor panel." He said, while holding up the plastic bag with the screw in it to punctuate what he was saying.

"Good job."

Ryan grinned at the praise as he disappeared back inside the plane to retrieve his camera.

Rick saw movement out of the corner of his eye. When he turned his head, he noticed that it was Alexx loading up the bodies into her van. Sighing, he narrowed his eyes. Rick wanted to catch Darius for ending the lives of those four teenagers way too soon. That monster was dangerous and he was still out there. There was no telling what he'd do next.

"Horatio?" Calleigh said softly, interrupting Rick's thoughts.

"Yes, Calleigh?"

"It looks like we're about done here." Calleigh informed him as she came to a stop right in front of Rick. "What do you want us to do now?"

Rick thought about it for a few minutes before he finally answered. "Calleigh, you and Ryan ride back together. Take the evidence with you back to the lab and start processing what you can. Mr. Wolfe, when Eric gets done contacting the various hospitals to see if anyone was admitted for treatment of burns, get him to check that screw for prints."

The two criminalists nodded their heads and each of them took an armload of evidence to the vehicle. Once they had loaded up all of the evidence and had driven off, Horatio approached Rick.

As he walked over to where Rick was standing, Horatio could feel Tripp's eyes on him and knew without a doubt that the other man was watching them from his car. He ever so slightly tilted his head in that direction and got a barely there nod of his head in return, confirming his suspicions.

"Come on," Rick said in a low voice. "Let's get going before Tripp's eyes pop out of his head."

That remark caused Horatio to laugh, because he just had the image of that happening flash through his mind. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Rick had a point. The look on Frank's face when he laughed was priceless causing Horatio to laugh harder in turn as he followed Rick back to the Hummer.

Both men climbed inside the vehicle and, after buckling up, they pulled away. Rick glanced back and grinned. Tripp was still staring in their direction.

"You do realize that he's going to be bugging you about what you said to get me to laugh ya know." Horatio stated, once he had calmed down enough to speak.

"Yeah, and it's going to make him wonder even more when I don't answer him either."

Horatio chuckled at that as Rick turned the volume on the radio up. Throughout the biggest portion of the ride Rick kept glancing over at him, and Horatio let it go at first. Eventually, it spiked his curiosity. "What?"

"Just wanted to make sure that you were awake."

"Why?"

"If you were asleep, I would have turned the volume down. That way the radio wouldn't have accidentally woken you up. If you're anything like me, you could use any rest that you can get."

Horatio blinked. "Really?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, really. Or did you fail to notice the decreased volume of the music when we arrived?"

Horatio was about to retort when the words from the current song's chorus grabbed his attention. He quirked an eyebrow as he stared over at the other man. "Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy?"

"Just zip it." Rick retorted as he returned his attention back to the road and turned up the volume. When he caught the smirk on his face he couldn't help himself. "Why? Does it give you any ideas?" He asked with a smirk.

Horatio just glared at him, but when he glanced over at him, Rick noticed the faint trace of a blush which caused him to laugh out loud.

"You're easily amused."

"You won't hear me trying to deny that one."

All too soon, they were entering the city limits of Miami. Both men sighed in frustration, as they were no longer going to be able to be as relaxed around each other.

xXxXx

Calleigh was standing in front of the entrance to the Crime Lab's building waiting for them to arrive. She had her arms folded across her chest and was tapping her foot impatiently against the ground. Even from a distance they could see that she was pissed. Rick and Horatio exchanged worried glances before they cautiously approached the ballistics expert.

"Calleigh?" Rick asked, coming to a stop in front of the petite blonde. Horatio stayed back, at most a couple of steps, not wanting to further irritate her which he knew could happen since it was 'Stetler'.

"Feds!" She spat out, making it known exactly who it was that had upset her.

"What happened?"

Horatio stepped up and around Rick coming to a stop beside him. "They took the black box didn't they?"

"Yeah," She said, nodding her head in his direction before turning back to face Rick. "Horatio, they took it before we even had an opportunity to examine it."

"I'll see what I can do about getting a copy of the pilot's transcripts." Horatio volunteered.

Rick nodded. "Rick, I want you to try and get a list of everyone that dealt with…"

"…with Darius at Attica? I'll see what I can do." With that, Horatio walked past with a determined gait and entered the building.

Calleigh watched him walk off before she turned her attention back to Rick. "Any idea on what is going on with him? Rick's actually been decent and helpful for a change."

Rick frowned. He tilted his head as he looked over at Calleigh. He was surprised to see that she was genuinely curious.

"I wasn't kidding when I said that after the sparring match we learned a few things about each other that we didn't previously know. Besides, if you were treated like we have been treating him would you be willing to treat them civilly?" When Calleigh shook her head no, Rick gave a sad smile. "Then, how can you expect that of him when you just admitted that you wouldn't react any differently?"

Calleigh opened her mouth before closing it. "You have a point there, Horatio."

Rick gave her a small smile. "Rick may have acted like a complete and utter asshole." He purposely ignored Calleigh's chuckle at that. "But he was only doing his job. We may not like what he does…" Rick let his voice drift off.

"But that doesn't mean that we have to treat him like yesterday's garbage either." Calleigh stated, a frown forming on her face.

"What is it?"

"I remember him saying something to you once."

Rick quirked an eyebrow at that. "What was it?"

"Stetler had said something along the lines of 'Don't hate me, hate the job'. Until now, I never actually considered the meaning behind those words."

Rick was struggling to maintain a neutral face but somehow he managed to succeed. Instead, the only indication of his surprise was the fact that his second eyebrow had climbed to join the first. Instead, he sensed that she was hesitating about something. "But…"

"But, I am confused about something."

"What is it that you're confused about Calleigh?"

"What you are saying does make sense, but why are the two of you still sniping at each other?"

Rick gave her a small smile. At least one of Horatio's team wasn't completely dense. "Let me ask you something."

"Anything, Horatio."

"What would your first thought have been if we were suddenly all nice to each other?"

"Honestly?"

Rick nodded his head. "Yes."

"Before this talk, I would have thought that it would have been a sign that the world was coming to an end, or that he was blackmailing you."

"Exactly. Both of us realized that as well."

Calleigh gave him a smile and, as she turned around, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Shall we go and see how much progress Rick is making on getting those transcripts?"

"After you." Rick replied, giving her an honest smile as he looked over at Calleigh. Maybe there was some hope yet. Then again, the other members of Caine's team could be even more stubborn than he had been himself before his world had been completely turned around. A random thought passed through his mind and he shook his head.

He wouldn't wish this situation on his worst enemy. He had to bite back a laugh at that.

Almost as soon as the two of them entered the building, the receptionist waved them over. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Lieutenant Caine, but you have a visitor."

Rick resisted the urge to drag his hand down his face. Instead, he gave her a small smile. "Who is it Liz?"

Calleigh paused, waiting to hear who it was before she decided on her next course of action.

"It's Mr. Johnson."

"Lydia Johnson's husband?" Calleigh asked.

"The one and the same. He's waiting for you over there."

"Horatio, I'll go and see how Stet… Rick is coming along on getting those transcripts."

"Thanks, Liz." Rick nodded at Calleigh before she walked off. As he approached his visitor, he struggled to remember as much information about the Lydia Johnson case as he could. Rick vowed that the first chance he got; he was going to sneak away and reread the file and then pester Horatio for all the information he could offer. One thing that he did remember was that it was one of the few cases that Horatio's team which remained unsolved.

"Mr. Johnson, what can I do for you?"

"Lieutenant, a phone call would have been nice. I own the largest conglomerate of radio stations in Florida, so imagine my surprise when that was how I learned of what has happened."

Rick frowned. He should have just stayed in bed and called in sick. Of course, then he'd have had to deal with Alexx Woods mothering him. "Mr. Johnson, I'm sorry that you had to find out like that."

"Please tell me why your guys found the person responsible for my wife's death and then proceeded to let him ESCAPE?"

Rick slowly counted to ten in his head. The last thing that he needed was to snap at the victim's family. Especially one that was as influential as Mr. Johnson.

"Mr. Johnson, we don't believe that Darius killed Lydia."

The man in front of him frowned before looking over at his son. When he looked back at Rick, it was as if he had aged years in the last few minutes. "If that is the case then why on earth did you guys bring him all the way to Miami from New York?"

_The Chief's reasoning makes no sense to me_, Rick thought to himself. Instead, he chose to give the 'official' answer. "He said that he could provide us with information on where your wife was buried."

"Lieutenant, as I told you a year ago, until I'm given proof to the contrary I refuse to believe that Lydia is dead. All I want… need is some kind of closure. Adam still refuses to let me turn the porch light off in hopes that his mother will come back home. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Rick nodded, for once fully understanding the drive that made Horatio want to do everything he could to provide closure to the victims. "I promise you this Mr. Johnson. I will do everything in my power to find out what happened to your wife. Okay?"

Rick watched as Mr. Johnson walked over to his son, and put his arm on the boy's shoulder. He whispered something to him, and then the two of them headed over to the elevator. _At least,_ Rick thought to himself, _the boy has a father who cares about him_.


	18. Chapter 18

xXxXx

Horatio glared at the phone as if that would make the people on the other end of the line more cooperative.

A soft knock on the door, caused him to look up. He frowned. Normally, he liked working with Calleigh and the rest of his team; but these last few days have shown him how spiteful they could be. He was a little surprised to see that she was looking somewhat nervous as she hovered outside the door.

"Come on in, if you think you can stand to be seen in a room with me." Horatio remarked, half-knowing what was expected of him, half-actually meaning it after spending a few days with 'his' team treating him as if he were garbage.

Horatio couldn't help but notice the flinch his words had caused. But, before he could say anything Calleigh held up her hand.

"Don't say anything. I deserved it."

Horatio blinked. "What caused you to say that?" He asked, before he held up one finger. "Yes, I'm still on hold. Don't…" It was too late. He had been put back on hold. "I hate phone tag." He grumbled to no one in particular.

Calleigh chuckled softly at that. "You're not the only one. It seems like Horatio is the only person that never has to deal with it on a daily basis."

Horatio just stared at Calleigh with a deer in the headlights look. To say that he was surprised was an understatement.

"How bad is the hold music?" Calleigh asked, giving him a small smile as she waited to see what he would do.

"Elevator music would be preferable." Horatio remarked dryly.

"That bad, huh?" In response, Horatio handed the receiver to Calleigh. She pressed it to her ear and promptly groaned. "That is truly… ugh."

Horatio smirked but before she could hand the receiver back to him, she was taken off hold. He just rolled his eyes as he listened to Calleigh's end of the conversation.

"Where were you ten minutes ago?" He asked, after she ended the call with the assurance that the transcripts were on their way.

"Talking with Horatio, why?"

"You most likely could have saved me ten minutes of surprisingly bad hold music."

Calleigh just grinned up at him mischievously. "Now Rick, everyone needs their daily dose of horrific music to make the rest of the day not seem as bad."

Horatio tilted his head to the side as he stared over at Calleigh. She blinked, shaking her head, which made Horatio aware of what he was doing. He sighed, dragging his hand down his face as he'd seen Rick do often enough.

"At least New York was for more cooperative. "While on the phone with them, they emailed copies of the taped interviews. They were also gathering up the paperwork that we requested and were going to fax it as soon as they could." Almost as soon as Horatio had spoken, the fax machine sprung to life.

"Good work." Calleigh said with a small smile, hoping that Stetler realized that she was trying to do better about how she treated him. She sighed. That talk with Horatio had been eye opening.

Horatio wasn't sure that he heard her correctly. "I'm not sure that I heard you correctly. Did you just say, 'good work'?"

Calleigh sighed. "That's what I said." She saw that he didn't quite believe her. "And no, I do not want anything." She took a deep breath. "Horatio did make a valid point earlier. The team, myself included, haven't treated you fairly. Additionally, we expected you to be civil to us when you were treated anything but civilly."

Horatio's eyebrows skyrocketed at that, but he said nothing. He was too busy resisting the urge to tilt his head and stare at Calleigh. He had slipped once and did that, but luckily she didn't make any connections. _Nor why would she?_ Horatio asked himself mentally. _Nothing like this has ever happened before_.

Before anything else could be said, there was another knock on the door. Both Horatio and Calleigh looked up in response. "Horatio, how did the visit from Mr. Johnson go?" Calleigh replied, with a smile, greeting Rick.

"It went as well as could be expected." Rick answered easily enough. "I thought that I'd check to see how you were doing in getting the transcripts."

"They're on the way." Calleigh chirped.

Rick raised an eyebrow and turned his attention towards Horatio. "The Feds had been playing phone tag for over ten minutes," he purposely ignored Rick's smirk.

"And I didn't believe him when he said that the hold music was horrible…"

"…so I handed her the phone to prove it and before Calleigh could hand me the phone back…"

"…they answered."

"And in less than five minutes she got them to agree to fax over the pilot's transcripts. On the New York front, I have better news. Their crime lab has already emailed the videos made during Darius' interviews, and they have already faxed over all the files that we might need."

"Nice work, both of you." Before Rick could say anything else, he was interrupted by Eric and Ryan hurrying towards them.

"There…" Ryan took a deep breath. "There you are, H."

"Yes, here I am." Rick replied. "Did you make any progress, Eric?

"There were no reports of anyone at local hospitals with burns to their arms. Also the prints on the screw were so smudged that I was unable to get a usable print."

"What do you want us to do now?" Horatio asked Rick. Eric and Ryan both jerked their heads up, having not noticed him. Of course, it helped that Horatio was the only one sitting while both Calleigh and Rick were standing up.

"Don't even start it guys." Calleigh ordered, glaring at them as if daring them to say something. Both of her teammates stared at her as if she had grown another head.

"Did he brainwash you Calleigh?" Eric demanded.

"Eric," Rick growled successfully stopping Delko from saying anything else. Fighting the urge to drag his hand down his face, he settled for placing it on his chin.

He stood there like that for a few moments, as he made up his mind on what he wanted everyone to do. "Eric, you wait for the pilot's transcripts to get faxed over. When they do, I want you to review them and come find me. Calleigh, I want you and Ryan to go and watch the Darius interviews. If you get something, find me. Rick, come with me. I want you to familiarize yourself with the Lydia Johnson case. Everyone got that?"

Horatio had been fighting the urge to growl. Something serious was going on with Eric because despite how the team felt about Rick, Eric was starting to get on his nerves. If Rick didn't get him straightened out by the time they returned to normal, he was going to have to have a talk with him. Instead, he stood up and walked over to stand behind Rick. "That sounds like a good idea to me."

Calleigh chuckled at the looks on her teammates faces when that happened. She walked over to Ryan, reaching up to push his mouth closed, before grabbing him by the arm and dragging Wolfe down the hall. "Come on, we have work to do."

Both Horatio and Rick watched as Eric stared at his teammates as they disappeared down the hall. He frowned. Twice in the same day his attitude had landed him in hot water with Horatio. Though, now he was even more confused. Calleigh was attempting to be civil to Stetler. That was just about as bizarre as Horatio and Rick's ability to be in the same room without getting into an argument in the first five minutes.

"Okay, H." Eric said with a sigh, before turning around and walking down the hall, head lowered.

Once he was out of earshot, Rick turned to face Horatio. "I don't know how you put up with him."

"Eric usually isn't this bad. I don't know what is going on with him."

"He said something about personal issue but didn't elaborate on what those might be. Do you have any idea?"

"Not a clue, Rick. Not a clue."

Rick turned around and headed for the elevator with Horatio walking along beside him. They both ignored the stares that they were receiving. Almost as soon as the elevator doors had slid closed, Rick groaned. Horatio's phone was going off again. "I don't have time for this." He muttered under his breath.

"Join the club. It happens every single time that there is a high profile case."

Rick chose not to comment. He just raised an eyebrow as he answered the phone. "Yes, chief we are working on it." Horatio bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud at the look on 'his' face. It was plain to see that he was fighting the urge to make a sarcastic comment.

"Why don't you ever tell him to remove that stick?" Rick asked once he had ended the call.

"Because I value my job and it would only make things more difficult."

"Don't tell me that you haven't been tempted to say it."

"Tempted, yes. Stupid enough, no."

The two men sighed when they felt the elevator slow to a stop. After they stepped out of it, Horatio followed Rick across the crime lab's floor to 'his' office. Once inside, he pulled up the chair and was surprised when the other man left the blinds open.

"What?"

"Just surprised that you left the blinds open, that's all."

"Fair enough. I'm tired of putting on the dog and pony show for everyone. Aren't you?"

"Yeah," Horatio agreed as Rick handed him one of the completed files to look over while he reviewed the Lydia Johnson case. Every so often, Rick would ask a question about the case and Horatio would answer it the best he could. Even though the case was only a year old, the fact that it remained unsolved was a big reason why Horatio didn't even have to look at the file. Every week, he reviewed all his unsolved cases in hopes he might spot something that he had missed originally.

Rick occasionally glanced up to see what was going on in the outer portion of the lab. For the first ten minutes or so, just about everyone was blatantly staring in their direction. As the time went on, they returned to work but an occasionally head would glance curiously in their direction.

Horatio had just gotten Rick up to date with all the necessary information regarding the Lydia Johnson case when the other man stood up. Horatio followed suit, placing the file back on his desk. When he turned around, he saw that Ryan was approaching their office in a hurry.

Rick walked around the desk and over to the door. By the time Wolfe had reached them, it was open so he didn't have to knock.

"Horatio, we may be on to something."

"Where's Calleigh?" Rick asked.

"She is trying to get a warrant."

"For what?" Horatio found himself asking.

"We may have found something. In Darius' interview he mentioned a Mr. Hoberman had helped him and then shortly afterwards said to 'dig deeper'. So we searched through the papers surrounding the time when Mrs. Johnson disappeared."

Wolfe blinked in surprise when he realized that not only had Stetler asked him a question in a civil manner but he had replied back in kind.

"And what did you find out that resulted in Calleigh trying to get a warrant?" Rick asked.

"An Albert Hoberman died on October 31st and was buried on November 2nd."

"So he died the day before Lydia Johnson went missing and was buried the day after." Horatio commented, thinking out loud.

"That's right." Ryan admitted surprised at how quick Stetler had figured that out.

"I just got finished briefing him on the facts of the case." Rick explained as Horatio lifted the folder so that Wolfe could see it. "When Calleigh gets the warrant, I want the two of you to grab Alexx and the three of you to get to the cemetery as soon as possible."

"Sure thing, Horatio." With that, Ryan spun around and left. Only then did Rick allow himself to drag his hand down his face.

"You're doing a better job than I expected."

"Then why does it feel like I'm going around in circles?"

"Because sometimes…" Horatio's voice drifted off as he noticed Eric stepping off the elevator. The younger criminalist had papers clutched tightly in his right hand.

"Because sometimes what?"

"Because sometimes that's the way cases go. They'll take you one direction then a piece of evidence appears and sends you in a completely different direction. But, in the end its worth it when you see that justice is served."

Rick let that sink in as he noticed Delko approaching. "How you can get any work done beats me. He then took a deep breath and let it out slowly in an effort to prepare himself for the upcoming conversation.

"Where's Wolfe going in such a hurry?" Eric asked as he stepped inside Horatio's office.

"He's going to see how much progress Calleigh is making with getting the warrant."

"Is there finally a break in the case?" He asked, looking at Rick and all but ignoring Horatio.

"Maybe. What do you have for me?"

"We finally got the pilot's transcripts." He glanced over at Horatio and gave him a look. Rick rolled his eyes but said nothing in response to Horatio glaring at him.

"Was there anything interesting?"

"Yeah, there was. The pilot told Miami International that he was diverting from his original path to Opa-Locka."

"Wait a minute." Horatio commented. "Did you say that he was diverting to the Opa-Locka airport?"

"Yes, Rick, that is exactly what I said. Are you going deaf?"

"Now look here…"

"I see where you're going." Rick said, interrupting Horatio, while ignoring the surprised look on Eric's face. "The mechanical problems ended up bringing the plane down a few miles short of that location where they crash landed…"

"…and there might be someone still waiting for them." Horatio finished up.

"Eric, call Tripp and tell him to meet us there." Rick ordered.

"Sure thing." There was a brief pause. "Us?"

"Rick is coming with me."

Eric's eyes narrowed. "With all due respect Horatio, but is that a good idea?"

"Eric, enough is enough." Rick growled. "You may be having personal issues but that is no need to be a complete…" Rick pressed his lips together before he said something that he wouldn't be able to take back.

"All I'm saying is that he doesn't have any experience…" Eric was smart enough to shut up when he saw Horatio Caine raise his hand in a stop manner.

Horatio looked over at Rick. "I can stay-"

"No, you're coming. Eric, while Rick and I are following up on this lead, I want you to help with sorting out the various tips being called in on the tipster hotline."

"But Horatio…"

"This is not up for discussion. I'm not entirely thrilled about this current situation and the Chief of Police has been calling me constantly. But, Rick has surprised me so far. Also, Calleigh and Ryan are less than thrilled about the current situation as well but they have at least been giving him a chance."

"But this is Stetler that we're talking about."

"And he's in the room, hearing everything that's being said." Horatio butted in, earning himself a glare from Eric.

"That may be true…"

"Hey!"

"Easy there, Rick. You didn't let me finish." He said, ignoring Eric's smirk.

"Then go on and finish already." Horatio growled, folding his arms across his chest.

"As I was saying," Rick began. "That may be true, but the only person that has been questioning me today, has been you, Eric. Even Stetler has done as I asked."

The reprimand wiped the smirk off of Eric's face. He had to admit, as much as he hated it, that Horatio had a point but still it was Stetler for crying out loud. He and Horatio were supposed to be sworn enemies and the fact that they were being civil to each other had thrown him for a loop. He gave his head a small shake and glanced over at the man in question. Eric was surprised to see that he wasn't gloating.

"Fine, I'll go to where the phone bank is set up and deal with sorting through those tips." With that Eric did an about face and stormed off muttering under his breath as he did so. "Hope the two of you don't kill each other."

Horatio waited until he was out of earshot before he spoke up. "Rick?"

"What is it Horatio?"

"I want to ask you something, but it can wait until we get to the Hummer and are on the way."

"Okay, there is something I've been meaning to ask you about as well." Rick mentioned as he held the door open For Horatio. After making sure that the door was locked behind them, Rick led the way to the elevators with a determined gait.


	19. Chapter 19

xXxXx

Rick waited until they had pulled out of the parking garage before he turned the radio off. "Before you ask your question, let me ask mine as it's only to settle my own curiosity."

"Fair enough. So what is it that you wanted to ask?"

"I was just wondering why you always call Ryan 'Mr. Wolfe'? I noticed that he tensed up when I called him that this morning."

Horatio pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought about how to answer the question. "That… That is a good question Rick. It started out as an effort to keep from getting to close to him after Speed died." Horatio couldn't help the way his voice still choked whenever he talked about his former partner. "Now, it's more of a habit than anything."

"Do you consider him to be a full member of your team?"

"Of course I do, why on Earth would you ask that, Rick?

"I'm getting to that, Horatio. You've been me long enough to witness how I'm an outcast."

"Yes, what does that have to do with anything?"

If it wasn't for the simple fact that he was driving, Rick would have slammed his head onto the steering wheel. "Honestly, Horatio, do I have to spell it out? You're the only person who constantly calls Wolfe by his last name. Hell, even when we didn't get along you often called me by my first name. Think about how that might make him feel?"

"I have, haven't I?"

Rick could hear the honest surprise in 'his' voice. He was also puzzled as to why he was trying to make things easier for Wolfe when the newest team member still thought of him as an ass. _It's because you hate it when anyone is treated like garbage when there is something that you can do about it._

There was a momentary lull in the conversation. Rick was about to say something just to break the silence when the other man began to speak once more. "Thanks for pointing that out to me." Rick said nothing, as much as he wanted to. It would have been so easy to ask Horatio how blind could he be. Instead, he simply gave him a nod of his head in acknowledge that he had heard him. The silence once more stretched out for a few minutes before Horatio spoke up once more. "He is one of the team, you know."

"Yes," Rick agreed, "but I'd wager that it's a question that he often asks himself. I may not have been getting along with you for very long but it's been over a year since the kid joined 'your' team. Remember this is coming from someone used to being treated as the outcast." He took a deep breath, not taking his eyes from the road, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary at that admission.

"What?" Horatio asked in a low voice.

"I don't know why I'm saying this, but I can imagine how Wolfe might feel." Horatio said nothing, instead only quirking an eyebrow as he waited for Rick to continue. "He joined the team under impossible expectations. Then, after having to prove that he was capable of doing the job, he had to live with being compared to a ghost. No offense meant. Now, he gets the daily reminder that he is not truly one of the team every time he deals with you, which is made even more difficult by the fact he constantly seeks your approval."

"And by continually calling him by his last name I further enhance that feeling." Horatio all but stated.

"Most likely." Rick said clearing his throat in an effort to keep from saying something along the lines of 'it took you long enough'.

"Rick?"

"What is it, Horatio?"

"Why don't you start calling Mr. Wolfe 'Ryan'?"

"Are you sure about that? Because if I do, then when we change back you will have to start that or it will be this same shit all over again."

"I'm sure. I'll do my best to get used to it so it won't be as difficult when things are normal."

"Good."

Horatio fell silent as he tried to come up with the best way to phrase his question. As the minutes ticked by, Rick ended up breaking the silence. "What was it that you wanted to ask me, Horatio?"

"You're getting good at getting to the point." He commented softly, still trying to figure out how he wanted to bring up the topic. He sighed, if he kept thinking they'd arrive at Opa-Locka before he had a chance to ask.

"Just blurt it out. You're not going to scare me off."

"Fine. I was just wondering, after we return to normal, if you'd be interested in…"

Rick couldn't believe what he was hearing. He told himself that he was probably just fantasizing about what he wanted to say rather than the reality. So, as much as he hated to, he prompted Horatio to finish the question. "If I'd be interested in what Horatio?"

Horatio swallowed deeply, hoping that what he was about to say wouldn't be taken the wrong way. "I was wondering if you might be interested in changing your job description once we're back to normal."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That depends, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that you're asking if I'd be willing to join your team once we change back. Please tell me I'm not totally off base here."

"You're not totally off base." Horatio responded.

"Don't joke with me Horatio, especially with something like this."

"Rick, let me ask you a simple question. Have you ever known me to joke about inviting someone on my team?"

"No, but…"

"Let me ask you this question as well. Have you ever known me to ask someone to join my team that I didn't want on it?"

"No."

"So, what is your answer? Keep in mind that you'd have to start out on the low point on the totem pole."

"I'd love too. And don't worry, I wouldn't expect any different. Besides, I'm ready to give up being in charge. It's not all that it's cracked up to be. I'm surprised you don't' have an ulcer from as much crap as you deal with. I do have one request."

"What is the request, Rick?"

"When that happens, please don't pair me up with Delko."

Horatio frowned at that. "I wouldn't do that to you, though honestly I really don't know what his problem is. He really isn't usually this bad."

"Since when?" Horatio purposely ignored Rick when he coughed to disguise the comment he made in response. "But, seriously, I wasn't going to do that to you."

"Just curious, but how much thought have you put into this?"

"Honestly, a lot. I know the decision won't be that popular with the team, and honestly I don't care. You do have a knack for this field as evident when we were on the plane."

"I knew it! You were quizzing me on purpose." Rick said, briefly taking his eyes off the road to look over at Horatio.

Horatio smiled. He would have had to be blind to miss the huge grin on 'his' face. "See, that confirms that I wasn't making a mistake in offering this opportunity to you. As I mentioned, you will have to start out as a level one and work your way up."

"And, as I mentioned, I don't care about that. Though I do have one more question for you."

"What is it?"

"Who's going to 'train' me when that happens because I really don't think any of your team is going to want that responsibility. I'd also be willing to wager that they might be hoping that I would fail."

"Well…" Horatio started with a smirk.

"Well what?"

"Well, if you think you could stand it I'd be more than willing to take you under my wing. And, on the days when I have court or something comes up, I'm sure that Calleigh would help out. I don't know what you said to her, but she's been trying to treat 'you' better."

"I just merely pointed out a simple fact."

"Just to quell my curiosity, please tell me exactly what fact it was that you pointed out to her?"

Rick gave a small smile. "I merely asked her that if she had been treated like they had been treating Rick if she would be willing to treat them civilly."

"You know, you've been surprising me a lot lately about how you can make good arguments when you want to."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Good cause it was meant as one."

Horatio settled back in his seat and watched as they neared their destination. All too soon, the Opa-Locka Airport came into view. Tripp was already there waiting for them. He was leaning against the car staring at a woman standing off in the distance appearing to be waiting for something or someone.

"Frank." Rick said alerting the Texan to their presences. He frowned but said nothing as the three man silently approached the woman.

She was so busy watching for a plane in the distance that she didn't hear them approaching. In fact, she jumped when Horatio spoke. "He's not coming, ma'am."

"Excuse me, but who are you and what are you talking about?"

"Well, Ms…" Rick began.

"Nevins. Joann Nevins."

"Well," Rick began starting again. "Ms. Nevins. I'm Lieutenant Horatio Caine and this is Detective Frank Tripp and Sergeant Rick Stetler. _That still feels weird to say out loud_, Rick thought to himself.

"We're here to tell you that Henry Darius is going to be a No-show."

"Look, Mr. Tripp, I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

"Look here, Ms. Nevins. We have a list of people that wrote to Henry Darius at Attica." Horatio stated earning him a raised eyebrow from Rick.

Tripp snorted at that. "Freedom of speech BS that is allowing prisoners to prowl on the internet."

"If you know that, then why on Earth did you ask me my name in the first place?"

"It's called being polite." Rick responded, answering her question.

"Look, Henry and I wrote to each other. That's not a crime. Besides he is a very nice man. He's also thoughtful, caring, and exceptionally intelligent. The last I heard, that's not a crime."

"But helping him to escape from prison is."

"Look, I honestly don't know what you're talking about. I'm just standing here enjoying the weather watching planes as they land."

"What Sergeant Stetler is trying to say," Rick began, ignoring Tripp's raised eyebrows. "Is that we know that Darius and his accomplice are responsible for causing the malfunction which in turn caused the plane to divert here."

"It's safe to assume that you're here to whisk him away to your private abode. Is that right?" Tripp added when Rick had finished speaking.

Rick noticed that Horatio's eyes were drifting towards Ms. Nevins' bag that was perched atop the car's trunk. "Then, if that is the case, you wouldn't mind if we checked out your bag then."

He gave Tripp a nod of his head and the detective stepped forwards and opened the bag. "Interesting," he replied as he pulled out two large bundles of bills.

Horatio whistled softly. "That has to be about twenty thousand dollars there, wouldn't you agree, Horatio?" Rick simply nodded his head in agreement.

"So what? It's mine."

"More like money to help Darius with his escape plan," Tripp surmised.

"If you can prove that ridiculous theory, you know where to find me. I'll be at my place on Hibiscus Island." With that, she hopped into her car and drove off.

"What next?" Horatio muttered under his breath. He exchanged glances with Rick when Tripp's phone began to ring. They watched as he walked a little ways off to have some privacy while he took the call.

Before either man could say anything, Horatio's cell phone started ringing as well. "Caine."

"Horatio, its Wolfe."

"What have you got for me?"

"While we didn't find Lydia Johnson's body, the Hoberman lead wasn't a complete bust."

"Please explain." Rick asked before mouthing 'Ryan' to Horatio.

"We found a shovel with blood on it inside the cement crypt."

"Good work, Ryan. Test the blood for DNA and then get back to me once you have the results."

"Will…" There was a brief pause as Ryan swallowed, unsure if he had heard him correctly. "I will, Horatio."

Rick ended the call before glancing over at Horatio. The other man's gaze caught his eye and Horatio responded by sending him a questioning look. However, before he had a chance to explain, his cell phone went off once more.

"I promise if that's the chief of police I'm going to drop the phone and accidentally on purpose run it over with the Hummer." Rick growled, causing Horatio to laugh. Tripp looked up and gave them odd looks before returning his attention back to his phone call.

"Caine," Rick barked into the phone for the second time in as many minutes.

"Horatio, its Eric. We might have a strong tip from the tipster hotline."

"What is it?" Rick questioned, instantly alert. Horatio noticed the change immediately.

"A man matching Henry Darius' description was spotted a few miles from the Miami University campus. There were two other similar reports mentioned as well."

Rick was impressed that despite Eric's reluctance to pursue the assignment he managed to get some useful information. "Eric?"

"Yes, Horatio?"

"Grab Calleigh, as well as a couple available patrol officers, and check that lead out. It sounds promising."

"On it, H."

"What is going on, Rick?" Horatio whispered after making sure that Tripp was still at a safe distance away.

"Ryan said that while the Hoberman lead did not result in locating Ms. Johnson's body, they did recover a shovel that had blood on it. The second call was from Delko. He had come across a promising lead from the tip line in which approximately three people reported sightings of Darius."

"Where was this?"

"He was spotted a few miles away from the U of M campus."

Tripp cleared his throat as he approached them. "I hate to break up your discussion, but the helicopter's just spotted the murdered kids' Mustang."

"Where?" Rick demanded

"On 57th and Flagler. Reports indicate that there is a single male driver."

"Tell them to use the pulse. I do not want him to get away. Once he's been stopped take him into custody and get him to the precinct." Rick gave Tripp a nod of his head. "Tripp let them know that we are on the way back now."


	20. Chapter 20

xXxXx

In order to get back to the Crime Lab as soon as possible, Rick turned on the sirens and sped back. Horatio said nothing, but kept a death grip on the 'oh shit' handle. He was used to going fast when he was driving, not when he was the passenger.

Horatio resisted the urge to sigh in relief when they pulled into the parking garage. Instead, he followed Rick inside and was pleased to see the patrol officer's escorting Ken Hastings.

"That is far enough. Ken, I'm going to ask you this once and only once," Rick growled. "Where is Henry Darius?"

"I honestly don't know. He could be anywhere. The guy is insane and I got away the first chance I could get."

Horatio caught Rick's eyes, ignoring the glares he was receiving form the patrol officers, and glanced down at Hastings' right forearm.

"You're the one responsible for bringing the plane down," Rick stated, once he noticed the burns.

"I swear I didn't want anything to do with this."

"That's convenient," Horatio remarked.

"It's true. I was on my way to stand trial for a simple fraud case. I'm strictly white collar crime. There was no way I'd be willing to risk getting myself persecuted for a felony if I could help it. Darius is insane. He threatened to kill me if I didn't cooperate and he almost…"

"He almost what?" Horatio questioned as he took a step up to stand beside Rick.

Ken lowered his head and whispered the words, fighting to get the images out of his head. "He almost killed me like those kids."

"Are you talking about the kids in the mustang?" Horatio asked.

"No," he replied shaking his head. "Although Darius did pull a gun on me then too. I'm talking about the kids in the Theta Gamma building at Miami University."

"Shit!" Horatio and Rick exclaimed at the same time.

Rick whipped out Horatio's phone and punched in Delko's number.

"Delko."

"Eric, take Calleigh and the patrol officers and get to the Theta Gamma Building at Miami U yesterday."

"What happened?"

"We have reason to believe that Darius struck there."

"We're on it. I'll update you as soon as we get there," Eric promised and with that, Delko ended the call.

"Get him out of my sight," Rick growled.

The two men walked over to the elevator and stepped inside. Rick pressed the button for the Crime Lab's floor. When they arrived they found Ryan pacing back and forth in front of Horatio's office.

"Ryan, what have you got for us?" Rick called as they approached. When Wolfe jerked his head around in response, Horatio had to admit that maybe Rick knew what he was talking about when it came to his newest team member.

"The blood that we found on the shovel is a direct match to Lydia Johnson."

"From what I've seen form the file, it's not Darius' MO to bury his victims. So, most likely he is not the person who buried Ms. Johnson." Horatio spoke up, phrasing his words carefully.

"Rick, then can you explain to me how he could have had access to that kind of specific information?"

"There was a chance that the actual person who killed Lydia Johnson and he used that information to buy himself a ticket to Miami. But for what?" Rick wondered, as Wolfe shrugged his shoulders.

"Ryan?"

"Yes, Horatio?"

"Is there anything on the soil?"

"Not yet. The tests are still being run."

"Keep on it, Ryan."

"Will do, Horatio." Wolfe headed back towards his trace lab with a smile on his face, as Rick and Horatio returned to their office.

As soon as they had entered, Horatio's cell phone started to ring again. "I'm ready for this day to end," Rick admitted to Horatio before answering 'his' phone.

"Horatio it's a massacre."

"Eric, what is going on?"

"We just finished clearing the scene. Darius wasn't here when we arrived…"

"But he was there?"

"It sure looks like it. We're going to need Alexx… Shit! We got a survivor. I'll call you back."

"DAMN IT!" Rick roared after ending the call.

"What is it?" Horatio asked, instinctively knowing that he wasn't going to like the news.

Rick dragged his hand down his face. "Darius wasn't there when Eric and Calleigh arrived…"

"But he had already been there?"

"Yep and from what Delko said, it's bad. On the plus side, there is one survivor."

"How?"

"I don't know the details yet. I have to call Alexx and send her over there."

"You might want to alert the Chief as well. You don't need to see how he can be if he hears about this on the news rather than from 'me'."

Rick glanced around the office, but Horatio realized what he was doing. "Don't even think about hitting your head. Not only are the blinds open, but you need to stop that habit."

"Why? It's not as if anyone cares?"

"I do." Horatio whispered, surprising himself.

Rick's eyebrows shot upwards, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he pulled his phone back out and set about making the necessary calls. When he was done, Rick collapsed into his chair and Horatio sat down in the one across from him.

Horatio, who was sitting in the chair, had grown quiet. When Rick glanced over at him, before frowning. "What are you thinking?"

"That we might have missed something. We need to talk with the Johnson's kid."

"Hold on, Horatio, I'm not good with kids. Don't get me wrong, I wish I was but I'm not. I'm not kidding, either."

Horatio sighed and shook his head. "I never said that you had to. If you can get the dad to let us have a talk with Adam, I'd be more than willing to talk with him."

Rick smiled sadly. "You, on the other hand, are good with kids." He took a deep breath. "I'll do my best."

"That's all that I ask, Rick. That's all that I ask."

"Any advice?"

"Be honest, and also grab one of those little pins that we usually hand out to kids that visit."

"Okay, but care to let me in on why?"

"You'll see soon enough."

Rick shrugged before looking up Mr. Johnson's contact information. He knew that Horatio wasn't going to say anything else until he was good and ready. Once he had found the husband's phone number he called and frowned when he got his voice mail. He saw Horatio mouth the words 'Leave a message' so he did.

Just as soon as he ended the call, his phone rang again. He shot Horatio a look, but the other man just smiled apologetically but remained silent.

"Caine."

"Horatio, its Calleigh. We know what, or rather who, Darius was after."

"Calleigh I'm going to put you on speakerphone. Then, I want you to repeat that and then please clarify."

"I can do that."

"Go ahead, you're on speaker now."

"Horatio and Rick, I presume?"

"You presumed correctly, Ms. Duquesne. Now, please continue," Horatio spoke up.

"The girl, Kimberly Beaudreux, that survived by hiding in the laundry room, just told me who Darius was looking for."

"Who is it?" Rick asked.

"An Alexa Endecott."

"Do we know where she is now?

There was a short pause over the line as Calleigh contemplated her answer. "Yes, we do. Unfortunately, so does Darius."

"Where?" Rick demanded.

"She is at the Cocoa Riding Club. She ditched a tournament in order to go riding. She went there around eleven this morning."

"Good work, Calleigh." With that Rick ended the call, but before they could make any plans his cell phone alerted him to a voice mail message.

Rick handed the phone to Horatio who dialed his mailbox before turning on the speaker phone. It wasn't long before Mr. Johnson's voice broke the silence.

"Lieutenant Caine. I got your message. My son and I were just riding around the city so we'll head there as soon as we can." There was a short break in the message as a horn sounded before his voice continued once again. "We'll be at the Crime Lab in about ten minutes."

Rick closed the phone before shoving it back into his pocket. "What are we going to do now?"

Horatio smiled grimly. "First, you are going to get that pin I need. Then, you are going to talk to Mr. Johnson when he gets here to see if you can talk him into letting me have a talk with Adam; preferably without him in the room. If he does, you can go to the Riding Club. Just to cover both our behinds, I'll tape record the interview. Think you can do that?"

"I… I'll do my best."

"Good. Let's go."

While they were making preparations for the hopeful interview with Adam Johnson, Rick made a quick call to Eric.

"Yeah, Horatio?"

"How are you doing with the scene?"

"I'm still processing, but I'm almost done. It's a good thing that swing shift was called in to help, or I'd be here for ages."

"Anything I need to know about?"

"Just that Alexx just left with the bodies. It… it was bad, Horatio."

"When you get done at the scene and get back to the lab, come find me."

"I'll do that."

By the time that they had everything and made it back to the main hallway, Mr. Johnson was there waiting for them and his son was sitting on a bench out of hearing distance. Horatio gave Rick a nod of encouragement before the two of them approached him.

"Lieutenant," He began, before noticing Horatio for the first time.

"Sergeant Stetler," Horatio replied holding out his hand which the other man shook.

"Lieutenant and Sergeant, I've told you before that my son didn't see anything."

"We understand that Mr. Johnson, but if it's okay, we need to try. I can understand that it will be difficult, but there is a chance we might learn something that can help."

"How can it help? It's a year later."

Horatio spoke up softly. "With a trauma of that nature, there are some things that you never forget."

"Sergeant, you sound as if you speak from experience."

"I do," Horatio all but whispered.

Mr. Johnson considered the meaning behind that statement as he looked at his son, who was just sitting there staring at his shoes. "If I agree to let you do this, would it be possible for you to ask the questions? If this must be done, I'd rather it be by someone who has an idea of what my son has gone through."

Rick nodded his head. "That is fair enough Mr. Johnson. You can watch from out here. They will be in the layout room right there," Rick explained pointing to the room. "We will also be recording it."

"I do have one last question, Lieutenant Caine."

"What is that?" Rick asked.

"What happens if my son becomes too upset to continue?"

"Then we will stop."

"Good."

Rick knew that he needed to leave, but he wanted to see at least the first part of the conversation. He knew that Horatio was good with kids, but he never actually watched the man deal with them. As he watched, Horatio showed Adam the tape recorder.

xXxXx

"Adam, I'm Sergeant Stetler." Although it still felt weird, Horatio found that as time went on, saying those words became easier.

"What is all of that?" The boy asked, staring at the objects that Horatio held in his hand.

"You're very observant Adam."

"Thanks."

"I actually have a few things. The first is this tape recorder. I'm going to be recording our conversation."

"Why?"

"Well, there are actually a couple of reasons why I need to do that. The first is because your dad isn't in here with you. I also need it so if you remember something that helps us find the guy responsible for what happened to your Mom they can't accuse anyone for asking leading questions. Does that make sense, Adam?"

"Yes sir, it does." He took a closer look at the machine that Horatio had set on the table. "You already turned it on."

Horatio smiled at the boy seating across from him. "I can't keep anything from you now can I?"

Adam ducked his head as if he was embarrassed by the praise. "What are those other things you have in your hand, sir?"

"You can call me Rick. I also have a pin that Lieutenant Caine gave me to give to you. It's similar to the badge that he has."

The Johnson boy took the tiny pin out of Rick's hand and stared at it. Then, with a smile he held it up to the glass window and mouthed 'Thank you' before turning back to face him and saying the words out loud.

"And the last item I have in my hand is my badge. Would you like to hold it?"

"Can I?"

"Sure you can."

Horatio let Adam take the badge out of his hand. He watched him for a few minutes as he held both the badge and the pin side by side. "Is there anything in particular that you notice about them? Do you see any similarities or differences?"

"Yes sir, I do."

"How are they alike?"

"They both have an eagle at the top."

"Very good, Adam. Now can you point out the differences to me?"

"The color is different. Yours is silver, but the pin is gold. Yours is also bigger, and heavier. I like it better"

"Why is that?"

"It makes me feel safer."

xXxXx

Mr. Johnson glanced over at Rick. "I can honestly say I'm surprised."

"Why is that sir, if you don't mind me asking?"

"He's good with kids."

"That he is," Rick agreed. Before anything else could be said, there was a faint ding signaling the arrival of the elevator. He found himself mentally groaning when he saw the man who stepped off the elevators. Though he had never personally met him, he had seen enough pictures of the man as well as occasional glimpses of him at the forensics conferences that he had attended. _Time to put the act to the test_, he thought to himself.

"Detective Mac Taylor," Rick greeted the other man, holding out his hand for the detective to shake.

"Lieutenant Horatio Caine," Mac said, giving him a firm handshake. "I heard that Darius has already struck a sorority house here in Miami."

"Word travels fast. Yes, he has at Miami University."

"Excuse me, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Mr. Johnson?"

"I hate to but in on what sounds like a serious conversation, but I just wanted to let you know that if you have somewhere else that you need to be, don't stick around here on my account."

Rick struggled to maintain a neutral expression. "Are you positive, sir?"

"Yes, I am. Adam seems to be doing fine in there with the Sergeant."

"All right." Rick reluctantly agreed, motioning for Mac to follow him to the elevators.

"What is it, Horatio?"

"Darius is looking for a specific person."

"Do we have any idea who it is?"

"Yes, he's looking for an Alexa Endecott. She is twenty-one years old and is no longer answering her cell phone."

"Do we have any idea where she is?" Mac asked as the elevator came to a halt and they hurried out.

"That we do, Mac, but the bad news is Darius knows as well."

"Then there is no time to waste."

"Agreed. The Hummer is right over there. Just throw your stuff in the back and we'll deal with it later."

xXxXx

"You did a very good job, Adam," Horatio assured him. "I'm going to step outside to talk with your dad for a minute. Is that okay?"

"Yeah," Adam whispered as he handed the badge back to Horatio. "You might need that back."

"Thank you." Horatio said, giving the boy a small smile as he clipped the badge back onto his belt and stepped out into the hallway.

"Sergeant, how did it go? Did Adam remember anything?"

"Yes, he remembered a few things that might actually help us out. I've also got a sketch artist on her way if that's okay with you?"

"If you think that it will help."

"It will, trust me."

Horatio was glad that he had Rick call the sketch artist earlier and ask her to come in. He knew that there was the possibility that her talents would not have been needed, but he felt that it was better to be prepared just in case. The ding of the elevators drew both men's attention as the sketch artist stepped out. Horatio greeted her, before he motioned for her to follow him as he introduced the woman to Adam.

xXxXx

Once the two of them were hard at work, he stepped back out into the hallway and gave Rick a call. As much as he knew what needed to be done, he was Stetler for all intents and purposes and Rick was him.

"Caine."

"It's me."

"What did you find out, Rick?"

"Adam is with the sketch artist now. He remembered some of the details of the man in the car with his mom." Horatio paused. "Is someone with you?"

"Yeah, Detective Mac Taylor. We're on our way to see Alexa Endecott at the Cocoa Riding Club."

"I think that we need to take another look at Lydia Johnson's van."

"Any particular reason why?"

"After talking with Adam, it is possible that we might have missed something the first time around."

"Calleigh should be back soon. Get her to help you out. I don't think you're going to have any trouble with her now, but feel free to tell her that I'd like for her to help you."

"Will do and good luck."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," Horatio replied as he ended the call. When he turned around, he was surprised to see Calleigh standing there.

"Was that Horatio?" She asked, indicating the phone he still held in his hand.

"Yes, it was."

"What did he want?"

"Well…" Horatio began as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Well what, Rick? I'm not going to bite your head off ya know."

"Well, he wanted me to get you to help me with something," Horatio answered vaguely to gage her reaction. The day had shown that she was trying to treat 'Rick' better but still…

"With what?"

"It seems that the Johnson kid remembered that the music got real loud once he was out of the vehicle."

"So, Horatio wants us to go over to the impound lot and look over the van once more?"

"That pretty much sums it up."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get Tripp and go."

Her reaction caused Horatio to arch an eyebrow. "Ladies first."

Calleigh didn't try and fight the smile that appeared as a result. "Thanks," she replied as she stepped ahead of Horatio and led the way.


	21. Chapter 21

xXxXx

"So what are we looking for anyway, Rick?"

"From what I've gathered, the killer was definitely in the front seat and not the back like it was originally thought." He and Calleigh both looked at the car's stereo system, it was covered in dust.

"Well, we aren't going to be getting anything from the buttons. It's been too long. Still he might have touched something. Rick, do me a favor."

"What is it that you need?"

"Could you start the vehicle?

"Sure."

Horatio walked over to where Tripp was watching them and he took the keys from a reluctant man before walking back to the van. He reached inside the driver's side door and brought the vehicle to life.

When he did so, the radio was at a normal volume tuned in to an oldies station. "That's odd."

"What's odd?"

"When I talked with the Johnson kid, he said that the radio had been turned up really loud." Horatio thought for a few minutes then he smiled and reached over to push the eject button on the CD player.

Calleigh grinned as she took the CD as she read a name and address out loud. "Well, Rick, what do you think about taking a trip to Fort Lauderdale?"

"If you feel up to driving."

"Good, then you can call ahead and inform Brian Miller that he's about to have a couple of visitors. You coming, Tripp?"

"Yeah. I'll meet the two of you there."

xXxXx

Ryan Wolfe still could not believe what he had witnessed. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, yet when he had opened them, the tape recorder was still on the table proving that he had not imagined it at all.

Wolfe was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice that the door of the trace lab opened as someone let himself inside. Nor did he notice when that person smirked, and purposely threw the folder down so that it made a loud noise causing him to jerk backwards and fall out of the chair in response.

Looking up, Ryan felt the color rushing to his face as he saw the smirking face of Eric Delko. "What was that for?"

"I was just trying to see if you were awake."

"Well I was. I was just trying to make sense out of something I saw."

"That would take an entire lifetime for you Wolfe."

"Very funny, Delko. You're a regular comedian."

"I try."

"I bet you'll have the same reaction that I'm having."

"Reaction to what?"

"Horatio not only let Stetler interview the Johnson kid, but he let him do it alone."

"WHAT?"

"Great, I'm deaf now. Thanks a lot, Delko."

"Please tell me that the Dad isn't going to sue us for any damage that Rick may have caused by talking to the kid."

"I hate to say it, but I honestly don't think it went bad at all. From what I could see, the kid was smiling as he talked to him. Besides I managed to get a copy of the tape but I haven't listened to it yet."

Eric ignored Ryan, and instead pulled out his cell phone and punched in Calleigh's number. It took several rings before she answered.

"Calleigh?"

"What's up?"

"Did you know that Horatio allowed Stetler to interview the Johnson boy alone?"

"No I didn't know that." Whatever Calleigh had said next was drowned out by her honking the horn.

"Calleigh, what are you doing?"

"We're following a new lead that was discovered from Rick's interview with the Johnson boy."

"We? Is Horatio with you?"

"I can answer that one for you Eric. He's with Mac Taylor following another lead in the Darius case."

"Ryan's right, Eric. Horatio is not with me."

"Then who is?"

There was a hesitation over the line that caused him to frown. However, when he heard Calleigh's voice again, it was obvious she wasn't speaking to him.

"Are you sure?" He heard another person in the car with her but he couldn't quite place who the voice belonged to.

"Fine. Eric, I want you to take a deep breath and hold it while I tell you this. I'm heading to Fort Lauderdale with Rick."

"WHAT? Are you crazy Calleigh?"

"Eric, shut up. Rick said that he had a copy of the tape made and if the two of you don't believe that he just wants to help then the two of you are free to listen to it."

"Tell him that we will listen to it but not to expect us to change our opinions."

"I'm not a messenger pigeon, Eric," Calleigh muttered as she relayed the message.

"Whatever."

"Fine. This is the last thing I'm relaying between both of you, since you are actually making a valid point, Rick. If either of you has anything else that they would like the other person to know then they can tell them themselves."

"What did he say?" Eric pressed.

"He said that having opinions is one thing, but you're supposed to follow the evidence and not let your opinions cloud the facts."

Ryan couldn't help but smirk as Eric did a perfect imitation of a fish as he ended the call. "What did she say?"

When Eric repeated the relayed message, Ryan fought to maintain a straight face, but it was a losing battle. "Zip it, Wolfe," he growled, which only served to further amuse Ryan.

"I never… I never thought I'd say this, but Stetler actually has a point."

"Brownnoser."

"Nope, that's not true. What would I have to gain by agreeing with the man?"

"Just turn on the tape so we can hear what went on."

"Which is you avoiding mentioning the fact that you were wrong and I was right."

"Is that the tape of the interview?"

"Nice way of changing the topic, but yes it is."

"Then play the stupid thing and let's hear how it went."

When the tape finished, Eric shook his head. "I don't believe it."

"Me neither. If only he could handle normal internal affairs investigations that way."

Eric snorted. "As if… What planet are you from?"

"You may be right about that, but still he has been doing better you have to admit."

"I don't have to admit anything. Besides, it's probably a ploy to get us to lower our guards around him…"

"I don't know, Eric."

"Why are you saying that?"

"You know Horatio practically has a sixth sense when it comes to trusting people. Do you honestly think that if it was tingling, he'd not only let Stetler interview the kid but also alone? Which, as we just heard, he actually did a surprisingly good job."

"I don't know why it isn't. The two of them haven't been at each other's throats since that sparing match that I ended up missing out on."

"You really should have been there. But if you are so concerned, why don't you give Horatio a call?"

"I just might do that."

xXxXx

Rick had just pulled the Hummer onto the stable grounds when his phone started ringing. A quick check at the caller ID revealed that it was Eric. Rick sighed and resisted the urge to throw the phone out the window and drive over it. Mac just shook his head as he unbuckled the seat belt and exited the vehicle.

"What is it, Eric?" he growled.

"Wolfe and I have some concerns about Stetler's involvement in this case."

"Eric!" Rick could hear Wolfe hissing over the connection. "When I told you to ask H, I didn't mean for you to drag me into the middle of things."

Rick rolled his eyes. "Enough is enough. Eric, Rick and I had a serious discussion the other day. If you want further details you will have to ask him. Now, I don't have time for this childish behavior. Call me when you have some news." With that Rick ended the call.

Something was bugging him. Mac had been watching the redhead ever since they left the Crime Lab, but he couldn't pinpoint just what it was about the other man that was bothering him. Frowning slightly, the New York detective opened his mouth to ask a question but quickly closed it when he noticed that the stable's manager was approaching them.

"Can someone please tell me why I have a Hummer along with six police cars sitting on stable grounds with sirens blaring and lights flashing? It's spooking all of the horses."

"We're here following a lead in a murder investigation," Mac curtly explained.

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Does it look like we're kidding?" Rick growled.

"The guy we're chasing is a fugitive from New York. He's armed, dangerous, and on a killing spree down here in Miami."

"But what does that have to do with the Cocoa Riding Club?"

Rick took a step closer to the manager, who involuntarily took a step backwards. "We believe that he is now targeting someone specific. An Alexa Endecott. Do you know if she is here?"

The manager frowned. "I haven't seen her recently. But, I can tell you that she was jumping steeples earlier."

"Where was that?"

"It's down that way," he told the detectives pointing off to his right, but Rick and Mac were already on the move.

"Could you not…" The manager started to call out to the two men, but they were already out of earshot. "…walk on the grass?" he finished with a sigh.

Mac and Rick had almost reached the steeple grounds when they heard the dull pounding of hooves on the ground heading their way followed but a shrill whinny. They barely had enough time to dive towards the side as the panicked horse barreled right past where they had been standing mere seconds ago.

"Are you okay, Horatio?"

"I'm fine. You?"

"I'm good," Mac said, standing up. They both looked at the horse that had just barreled past them. His legs were splayed out to the sides and he was breathing heavily.

Rick watched as the New York detective cautiously approached the spooked horse while making noises that were meant to calm the large animal. Rick could see that it was working. Once Mac had a hold of the animal's bridle, Rick cautiously approached.

When the horse calmed down, Rick stepped closer and reached out to pet the horse on the top of his head, he had to quickly pull his hand back in order to cover his mouth when he sneezed. Frowning when a second sneeze soon followed, Rick found himself stepping back away from the horse as he could feel the beginnings of a headache.

"Well, that answers the question of why you never did a rotation with the mounted police," Mac commented as he looked over the horse.

Rick rolled his eyes at that and fought the urge to wipe his nose on his sleeve jacket. In all the time that he had known Horatio, he had never seen the older man do something like that. Instead he sniffed deeply, trying to hold off until he got back to the Hummer where he knew a box of Kleenex was waiting.

"Horatio I hate to ask you to step closer, but take a look at this."

"What is it, Mac?" Rick asked, taking a step closer to the horse as he tried to hold in the sneeze that was threatening to escape. The last thing he needed to do was spook the horse again.

"There's a small medallion attached to his bridle, with the initials A E engraved into it."

About that time, Rick lost the battle against holding the sneeze in. Turning his head to the side, he tried to bring up his hand in order to cover his mouth but he wasn't fast enough. The sneeze was loud, but thankfully it didn't spook the horse too much. He half-reared, but Mac's voice was helping to soothe the animal. "Nice work, Mac," Rick managed to get out before another sneeze tore through both his nose and mouth causing his eyes to water.

"Horatio, can you get me a swab out of your kit? It looks like there is some blood on the saddle and it's still wet."

As much as Rick wanted to tell the other man to go get the swabs himself, he knew that it wasn't a good idea. He could grab some of the tissue while he was at the vehicle. Plus, it would put some distance temporarily between him and the horse.

When he got back he was going to get Horatio alone and ask him how come he neglected to mention that he was allergic to horses. It was even more annoying since Rick had never had to deal with allergies before in his life.

Upon reaching the Hummer, Rick decided to just take the entire kit with him so as not to risk contaminating anything. He also grabbed the box of tissue and closed the back door of the Hummer before hurrying back, sneezing a few times on the way.

As Alexa's horse appeared to be calming down somewhat, Mac loosened the grip he had on the bridle. Unfortunately, he hadn't expected that some idiot would slam a fence gate close and spook the animal all over again. The horse reared up on his hind legs pulling the reins out of Mac's hands and took off running.

As soon as the reins were pulled out of his hands, Mac jumped to the side before the animal's front legs hit the earth so he wouldn't be caught between hooves and the ground. As he stood back up he saw Horatio heading their way. "Horatio, WATCH OUT!"

Rick had been walking back to where he had left Mac and the horse when he heard a gate slam shut. He winced when he heard the metallic clang as he turned his attention back to Mac and the horse. Sure enough there was a loud, shrill whinny before the animal reared up and pawed the air with his front hooves. He had already tossed the kit and the Kleenex to the side when he heard Mac holler at him to watch out. Rick could only hope that the kit had stayed latched shut as he took a deep breath and watched as the animal ran straight for him.

"You can do this." Rick repeated over and over again under his breath though his mind was remembering the last time he had tried a similar crazy stunt when he was ten years old. He had ended up not getting a good grip on the reins and sliding off of the horse and bruising his tailbone.

As the horse grew closer, Rick took a deep breath and held it. He tuned out Mac's voice screaming at him to run and he reached out and grabbed the reins as he leaped up. Rick's hands closed in tightly on the reins. When he felt himself starting to slide off of the horse he dug his knees into the horse's sides, which sent him running faster. Rick found himself staying in the saddle so he loosened up with his legs as he pulled on the reins and the horse started to slow down.

Once Rick was sure that he had the horse under control, he pulled on the reins with his left hand turning the horse around so that he was walking back to where Mac was still standing. Rick frowned when he felt his nose tickling again and sure enough he sneezed, but he was able to keep a grip on the reins and he brought the horse to a stop right beside a surprised Mac Taylor.

"How did you?" Mac asked, once he was able to get his mouth working again. The only people he had seen that could do what Horatio had just done were stunt people who had years of practice. Horatio, who Mac had just discovered that was allergic to horses evidently didn't have that qualification.

Rick shrugged from atop of the horse, before turning his head away and sneezing again. "Just lucky, I guess." He said before pausing to sniff and sneezing once more. "Mac, could you please get a swab out of the kit and get a sample of the blood?" There was a short pause filled by the redhead's sneezing before he continued. "I hate to hurry you but, if it isn't too much trouble, I need you to take the reins so I can get down and put some distance between me and the horse."

Mac shook his head as he hurried over to Horatio's kit and opened it. "It's a shame…"

That earned him an arched eyebrow from Rick as he tried to hold off yet another sneeze. "What's a shame?"

"It's a shame that you're allergic to horses. You're a natural and the mounted police could've used you." As if to emphasis his point, Alexa's horse threw his head up in the air before snorting and bringing his head back down.

Before Rick had a chance to respond, he sneezed three times in rapid succession. He heard the New York Detective whisper something to the horse as he swabbed at the blood on the saddle. "Don't mean to sound rude, but could you hurry it… ah ah AH CHOO! Hurry it up."

"Okay, okay. No need to rush."

"So says the man not allergic to horses."

"No need to be grumpy, Horatio."

"Just take the reins, Mac."

The New York detective reached up and took the reins. "Need any help?"

"No, I'm sure that I can manage."

"All right." Mac agreed, watching him as he dismounted the horse with a natural grace. Rick fought back the growl at the surprised look he caught on Mac's face.

"How?"

Rick just ignored Mac as he walked over to Horatio's kit and dug around for a bit before smiling when he came across a lint roller. He quickly used it to hopefully get any hair from his clothes. "Ah CHOO!"

"Bless you."

"Here," he said, tossing the lint roller at Mac who caught it in his right hand. "Take care of that. I'll meet you at the crime scene." With that, Rick picked up the kit and took off walking leaving Mac standing there.

Once he was out of earshot, he pulled out his phone and dialed 'his' number.

"Stetler."

"Horatio," Rick paused to sniff. "I think you forgot to mention something important."

"It's Horatio." He heard his voice mention. "What do you mean?"

"I mean being allergic to horses. Isn't it something that you should have… Ah choo! …told me? Also where are you?"

"How was I supposed to know? Ms. Ducaine…" There was a brief pause as he heard Calleigh say something but he couldn't make out what it was.

"Calleigh and I are on our way to Fort Lauderdale following a lead. What happened?"

"Let's just say we found Alexa Endecott's horse but not her." Rick looked around to make sure Mac wasn't anywhere close. "Also, I think Mac is puzzled at the moment."

"Why? What is going on?"

"Well something spooked the horse as I was returning with the kit and well…"

'Well, what?'

"Well, I ended up jumping on as it ran past and managed to get it under control. Mac seems confused that for someone who is allergic to horses, I seem to be a natural rider."

"Lieutenant! Lieutenant Caine, there you are."

Rick turned around and saw that there was a young patrol officer running towards him and Mac had dealt with the horse and was also approaching. He sighed. "Keep me informed and I'll do the same."

"Will do."

Rick ended the call and gave a nod to Mac who arrived a few minutes before the officer did.

"What did you do with the horse? Not that I'm complaining. At least you didn't bring him with you."

"I made an arrangement with the stable manager to borrow one of their horse trailers so that we can take the horse back to the lab.

Rick was glad that there wasn't anything in reaching distance that he could pound his head on. "Let me guess, the trailer is hooked up to the Hummer.

"Very good, Horatio."

Before Rick could retaliate, the patrol officer had joined them. "What is it?"

"We found the security guy for the club. He's been hurt and rescue is on the way."

"When it rains, it pours," Rick muttered under his breath the two men followed the officer. A few minutes later, they found themselves at the rear entrance to the club.

Rick took in the security guard's condition the best he could. The younger man was holding his hand to his neck applying pressure, but there was no blood oozing out from under his hand. If his neck had been cut, then he was actually lucky given what he had read about Darius. However, he kept his thoughts to himself. "What happened?"

"I was… I was making my rounds when this guy stepped out in front of my car holding a knife at this girl's throat."

"Alexa Endecott, most likely," he heard Mac comment.

The security guard was shivering slightly. "I got out of the car and tried to help but he told me not to make another move. He pressed the knife in deeper and the tip punctured her skin, so I stopped."

"Then what?" Rick gently pressed.

"He… He made her take my gun without taking the knife away from her throat and once he had possession of my gun…"

"What did he do then?" Mac demanded.

The guy ordered me to get the keys out of the car and open the trunk."

"Did you do it?"

The guard was trembling as he answered. "At first no, I didn't. But, he pressed the point of the knife harder into Alexa's neck drawing more blood so I eventually did open the trunk," he replied looking down at the ground.

There was a moment of silence, but before either Mac or Rick could ask him anything else, the guard began talking once more. "He made me walk over to the entrance booth and stand there while he shoved Alexa into the car's trunk and closed the lid. I know that she was alive at that point because I heard her pounding on the trunk. Then, the next thing I knew I felt the cold steel of the knife blade against my throat as he took the hat off of my head before he drug the blade lightly across my throat. It was enough to break the skin but thankfully not deep enough to do any serious damage. Then, he must have hit me on the head because I blacked out."

Rick glanced up and saw that Rescue had arrived and were rushing towards them. He stepped back, causing Mac to look up before following his lead. Feeling another sneeze coming, he quickly covered his mouth and turned his head. Thankfully, the sneezes were coming less often now.

Rick caught the amused smile on the New York detective's face and elbowed him.

Mac sighed at the contact before giving his head a slight shake and swallowing deeply. The elbow to his side seemed to refocus the Mac's attention back to where it needed to be, on the case.

Mac mentally cursed himself. The last thing he needed was to be distracted by allowing the images his imagination was creating to float through his mind when he talked with Darius. He needed all his wits about him. Besides, he didn't even know if Horatio was available, much less, if he swings that way.


	22. Chapter 22

"Horatio?"

"What is it, Mac?"

"It's a long shot, but it might be our only chance."

Rick was eyeing the New York detective warily, thankful that he had the sunglasses on which hid his eyes. The added benefit was that no one noticed that he resembled a raccoon with the sunburn.

"What might be a long shot?"

"Henry Darius' past behavior dictates that he will ditch the car at the first opportunity that presents itself. Maybe you can get the security company's dispatch to patch you through to the car."

Rick nodded, as he pulled out his phone and punched in the number. As he was dialing, Rick sensed the other man stepping into his personal space, so he took a couple of steps away as he barked out the situation to the person on the other end of the call. After a few minutes, he gave a satisfied nod of his head as he switched it over to speakerphone.

"The dispatcher is connecting us now. Nobody knows Darius like you do, Mac."

Mac cleared his throat and took the phone from Rick.

"Security."

"Henry Darius…" Mac had only been able to get out his name before he was interrupted.

"I'm impressed. Detective Mac Taylor, all the way from New York City. Did you miss me that much?"

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm here to bring you back to New York."

"You and what army?"

"I'm here with Lieutenant Horatio Caine of the Miami-Dade Police Department."

"I'm impressed. You had to call for backup. Or is it more than that?"

"Darius…" Mac growled.

"I struck a nerve didn't I?"

Rick hoped that he had been reading more into the conversation than was actually going on but he knew he needed to change the subject and fast. "Darius, I want to speak to Alexa. Immediately."

Mac said nothing as he took a deep breath and let it out slowly but giving no other outward signs that Darius had actually struck a nerve.

"Sorry, Lieutenant." Rick fought the urge to growl at how Darius pronounced 'lieutenant'. "I can't let you do that. Although neither you nor Detective Taylor have to worry too much. She is still very much alive."

"You aren't going to make it out of Miami."

"Is that so?"

"I've got roadblocks set up and all of Miami's finest is looking for you, my friend."

"Oh goodie, we're friends. Hear that, Detective Taylor?"

"Cut the crap, Darius. The car has GPS and we will find you."

"I wouldn't expect anything less. Detective Taylor, you will only find me when and if I want to be found. I'm running late."

"Darius…" Mac growled, but it was too late. Henry Darius had killed the connection.

"What is it, Mac?" Rick asked when he saw the other man's eyebrows furrow.

"Wait a minute. Is this Alexa Endecott as in _the_ Endecotts?" he asked incredulously.

"It's a strong possibility. Give me a minute and I'll see if that is the case."

Rick held out his hand, waiting for Mac to hand him the phone. The other man just stared at the phone causing Rick to sigh inwardly. "The phone, Mac."

Detective Taylor grimaced slightly. "Sorry, Horatio. Here you go."

Rick punched a number into the phone as he put some distance between himself and Mac. He was relieved when the phone rang instead of going straight to voicemail.

"Delko."

"Eric, I need you to do something for me."

"Sure, H. What is it?"

"I need you to see if Alexa Endecott is related to Tom Endecott of _The Endecott's Sugar Cane and Railways_."

"That shouldn't take me long. Just let me log into the system…" The minutes slowly ticked away and Rick debated on saying something when Eric's voice filtered over the connection. "Right again as usual, Horatio. Tom Endecott is Alexa's father."

Rick grew silent at that. He was surprised when Eric didn't hang up. Then, mentally kicking himself, he realized what Delko was waiting on. "Thanks, Eric."

"No problem, H."

"Mac?"

"What did you find out, Horatio?"

"You were right. Alexa Endecott is Tom Endecott's daughter."

"Darius picked a very rich girl."

"But for what purpose?"

"I honestly don't know, Horatio."

"Sorry to interrupt Lieutenant, Detective, but the GPS just kicked out the location of the security car."

"Come on, Horatio, let's go." Mac paused for a moment. "You are going to be fine with pulling the horse trailer, aren't you?"

_Now, he asks_, Rick thought to himself. "I'm sure I can manage, Mac."

"After you," Mac said, letting the other man walk in front of him. Rick had only gone a couple of steps when 'Won't Get Fooled Again' started blasting out of his cell phone, earning him a chuckle from Mac.

"Caine."

"H, it's Calleigh."

"What did the two of you find out?"

"Brian Miller admitted that he jumped into Mr. Johnson's car and had him listen to a CD."

Rick stopped dead in his tracks, which resulted in Mac walking into him sending him stumbling forward a couple of steps.

Rick turned his head and glared at Mac, who just held up his hands and mouthed the word 'sorry'.

"Calleigh?"

"Yes, Horatio?"

"Can you and Rick call Mr. Johnson in and ask him about that incident?"

He heard both her and his voice talking before Calleigh's voice filtered across the connection again. "Not a problem. I'll call him as soon as I hang up with you."

"Keep me in the loop."

"Always, H."

Rick ended the call and turned around to face Mac. He raised an eyebrow at the New York detective who was staring at the sky, but refrained from saying anything.

Shaking his head, Rick opened the door to the Hummer and climbed inside. After starting the vehicle, he reached for a tissue and sneezed into it. He rolled his eyes when he noticed that Mac had not moved from where he was standing. "Earth to Mac."

"Huh?"

"Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to get into the Hummer?"

"Sorry; I was distracted."

"Yes," Rick stated dryly. "I noticed that. Care to explain to me what had you so preoccupied?"

Mac opened his mouth to respond, but quickly snapped it shut. He knew without a doubt if he had actually answered that question the ride would have been very awkward. Instead, he cleared his throat. "I thought I saw an eagle."

"An eagle? Where?"

"It's gone now…"

Rick frowned. "That's too bad."

"Didn't know that you were into nature."

"There's a lot about me that you don't know…" _Like the fact that I'm not Horatio Caine,_ Rick thought to himself as he shifted the vehicle into drive and cautiously pulled out with the horse trailer in tow.

"Really? Tell me more."

_Crap crap crap crap,_ Rick kept repeating mentally. "A little busy here Mac. Or have you forgotten we're pulling a horse trailer… Ah CHOO! …in Miami traffic heading out into the Glades."

Mac frowned. Horatio was confusing him. He mentally shrugged. "Get a grip, Taylor," he muttered under his breath.

The New York detective hadn't realized that Rick had heard what he had said. Rick thankfully had enough experience playing Horatio that he managed to keep a perfectly neutral expression. He waited until he had made the turnoff, before he spoke. "I'm sorry; did you say something, Mac? I didn't quite make out what it was you said."

"I didn't say anything."

_I'm sure you didn't when I heard you say something,_ Rick thought to himself as he thought for a topic that might be safe to talk about since he knew the radio was out. "Okay, I'll ask you a question now." One of Mac's eyebrows shot upwards hopefully. "What is your favorite animal, Mac?" The question resulted in the eyebrow plummeting.

"Easy enough question, Horatio. It's the bald eagle."

"Why am I not surprised? Why do you like them?"

"Not only are they magnificent animals, but they are the symbol for our country. Add to the fact that they are also making a comeback and have recently been taken off of the endangered list and reclassified as threatened. I even have a small tattoo of one in flight." Mac froze. _Tell me I didn't say that last part out loud_, he thought to himself. He risked a glance over at Horatio and saw an amused smile. _Oh God_. "I did say that last part out loud didn't I?"

"Yes, you did."

Mac cleared his throat. "So, Horatio? What is yours?"

Rick frowned, momentarily distracted. "What is my what? Tattoo? I…" Rick cursed himself mentally barely stopping himself in time to keep from saying that he had one. "…don't have any."

Mac arched an eyebrow at the way Horatio had hesitated in answering the question. "That wasn't what I was talking about, but are you seriously thinking about getting one?"

Rick frowned. "What were you talking about? And, yes, I was possibly thinking about getting a tattoo but I haven't exactly made up my mind yet."

"Any reason why you haven't? I was asking you what your favorite animal was."

Rick managed to keep a straight face as he kept his eyes on the road as he tried to come up with an answer about the question. He didn't know whether he try to make something up or just tell Mac what his favorite animal really was and then make a point to tell Horatio once they changed back. In the end, he decided it was the safest option. After all, Mac Taylor was the head of the New York Crime Lab and would know if someone wasn't being entirely truthful with him.

"Horatio?"

"I'm not too fond of needles is why I haven't exactly made up my mind."

"It's not that bad if you're drunk."

"Are you talking from experience?"

"Um… yeah." Mac admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm not touching that one with a ten foot pole," Rick muttered under his breath as he slowed down for a turn he knew was coming up.

"So what were you thinking about getting a tattoo of?"

"I was thinking of getting one of my favorite animal."

"Which is?"

"The wolf."

"Interesting choice. Why do you like them?"

"There are numerous reasons."

"I'd like to hear them."

"First and foremost, wolves are misunderstood. They're very family oriented animals. The whole pack takes care of the young and they are very loyal to each other." Rick took a deep breath before adding softly in a whisper, "and the alpha pair mate for life."

"That pretty much sounds a lot like you, Horatio, except for the part about being misunderstood. So you're not afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?"

Rick gritted his teeth at that because when it came to wolves that was one of his biggest pet peeves. He was keeping a fragile hold on the tendency to start a lecture mainly because he realized that Mac was trying, and failing, to lighten the mood.

"Horatio, what is it? I can see you gritting your teeth."

"I'm doing no such thing."

"Bull."

"Fine. That's exactly the sort of thing that caused the wolf to become endangered in the first place. Unlike with Bald Eagles and the pesticide DDT, wolves were mercilessly prosecuted…" Rick gave his head a small shake as he struggled to get a hold on his temper.

Mac held up his hand when it looked like the other man was about to say something. "Don't worry about it, Horatio," _Note to self: Mac, don't ever mention Big Bad Wolf around Horatio ever again, h_e thought to himself.

Rick sighed, as he slowed the Hummer to a stop. "We're here."

Mac nodded and unbuckled his seat belt. "I'll check on the horse and then join you."

Rick just gave him a curt nod and walked towards the abandoned car and the patrol cop that was standing there.

Mac waited until he was sure that Horatio was out of earshot. "Real smooth, Mac. Horatio had said that they were misunderstood and then you had to go and make a joke." The horse seemed to be doing okay as he reached his arm between the bars on the horse trailer and gave the animal a pat on the neck.

Rick took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. He briefly wondered how much longer it was going to be until they changed back. He looked up and saw the patrol officer standing there looking a little nervous. "Officer what all did you touch?"

"All I did was pop the trunk, Lieutenant Caine, sir. As you can see the car is empty, sir."

"We're going to take a look at it anyways," Rick stated as he pulled on a pair of gloves and calmly stepped past the patrol officer who just took a step backwards.

"Find anything. Horatio?" Mac asked from directly behind Rick, startling him.

"Don't sneak up on me like that."

"I wasn't sneaking up on you, especially after the patrol officer all but stuttered when I walked past. What did you say to him?"

"I just asked him what all did he touch."

Mac was wise enough to keep his opinions on that matter to himself. "So, did you find anything?"

"I haven't had much time to look. Darius ripped out the radio, but it doesn't appear that he messed with the camera."

"Is there a tape inside?"

"No. It's not that kind of camera."

"Mind if I take a look?" He asked while pulling on a set of gloves.

Rick took a step back, allowing Mac to have a look inside the car. As he turned away, Rick raised his arm to cover his mouth as another sneeze escaped. At least, he had to admit, the sneezes were coming less frequently. When they got back he'd send one of Horatio's team members to process the horse for trace.

"Go ahead. While you do that, I'm going to call the security company and see what they have."

Mac nodded as he focused his attention on the car. "Horatio, there's something else."

"What is it?" Rick asked, stepping closer to Mac.

"There's a sheet of paper stuck in the seat."

"What does it say?"

"6601–C6." Mac replied with a frown. "It is possible that these are map coordinates but it isn't like Darius to practically scream at us where he is going."

"Mac?"

"What is it Horatio?"

"What if it isn't where Darius is going, but where he has been?"

"Do you think it is the burial site for your Lydia Johnson?"

"I do. Mac, can you take one of my officers with you and go see if you can get a hold of that security video for me."

"Okay, I can do that." Mac said before frowning.

"What is it?"

"What are you going to do about the horse and the coordinates?"

"I'm going to take the horse to the lab and get one of my guys to take him out of the trailer and process him. Then, I'm going to grab Eric and then drop in on Cooper to see if we can figure out where those coordinates lead."

Mac managed to keep a neutral expression as he nodded his head and walked towards where the patrol officers were waiting for their next orders. He was telling himself that it wasn't anything personal and that Horatio did need him to get the job done. He fought the urge to growl when he saw that he was stuck with the nervous patrol officer. As they were walking toward the patrol car, he heard the now familiar tune of Horatio's cell phone.

Rick fought the urge to drag his hand down his face as he watched Mac slowly walk off and instead placed his hands on his hips. He winced when he saw who Mac ended up with and realized that the patrol officer was probably going to end up more nervous before the ride was up. He had started to walk back over to the Hummer when Horatio's cell phone began to ring loudly.

"Caine."

"Horatio, it's Calleigh."

"That was quick."

"We lucked out. The sketch artist had just finished up with Adam and we managed to catch them before they left. I talked with Mr. Johnson while Rick took Adam on a tour of the labs. Honestly, I'm surprised that the kid took such a liking to him."

"Calleigh, I thought that we already had this talk."

"I'm trying, Horatio. Honestly, I am. It was just a little surprising to see the kid take up with him when it's normally you that they flock too and take an immediate liking to."

"What did you find out?"

"I learned that Mr. Johnson traded vehicles with his wife that day and he neglected to mention it."

"Did he happen to mention why?"

"He didn't seem to think that it was important."

"Why do people always seem to think that they know what is important to the case and what isn't when we're the trained professionals?"

"I don't know, Horatio."

"Calleigh?"

"Yes, Horatio?"

"I'm going to be brining a horse trailer back to the lab and I was wondering if you could process the horse inside and possibly get Rick to help you?"

"Sure thing. Is there anything I should know?"

"About the horse situation or the Rick one?"

"Either, both take your pick Horatio."

"Fine, Calleigh. I'm allergic to horses and the one I'm bringing in belongs to Alexa Endecott. Mac swabbed some blood that was on the saddle. As for as the Rick situation goes, I'm thinking about offering him a position on the team after this Darius fiasco is over. He's shown potential."

"Excuse me, Horatio."

"What is it?"

"Could you repeat that last part please? I don't think that I heard you correctly.'"

Rick sighed. "Calleigh, I'm thinking about offering him a position with the team once this situation is over. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not really. Quite frankly, Rick has surprised me. Like you said, he has potential. But, I can guarantee one person that will definitely have a huge problem with it."

"Yes, I realize that. We'll just cross that bridge when we get there. I'm getting in the Hummer now."

"Is there anything else you need for me to do?"

"Can you have your Hummer ready so that once I show up we can switch vehicles?"

"I can do that, but why?"

"After you process the horse, I need you to take him and the trailer back to the Cocoa Riding Club."

"Okay. Do you have any leads on Darius?"

"Mac took one of the patrol officers and went off to try and track down the footage from the camera inside the car. However, Darius did leave behind a slip of paper with some coordinates on it. When I get back to the lab, I'm grabbing Eric and the two of us are going to pay Cooper a visit."

"Okay. Rick just showed up. Is there anything else?"

"No, just be sure you're in the parking garage when I get there. I'm leaving now."

"All right. Be careful, Horatio."

Rick covered the remaining distance to the Hummer and climbed inside. After starting the vehicle, he turned the radio on, relaxing enough on the drive that he was singing along to the songs. He missed being able to carry a tune effortlessly.

He frowned. He wondered if once they changed back, Horatio might be willing to take some Benadryl and come with him to watch him actually ride a horse. As if on cue, Rick sneezed. "Of all the things Horatio could be allergic to it had to be horses," he muttered during a commercial break.

xXxXx


	23. Chapter 23

xXxXx

Rick continued to sing along with the radio as he made the drive back to the Miami Dade Crime Lab. He only sneezed a couple of times during the drive.

When he pulled into the parking garage he had to struggle to maintain a neutral face. Horatio was standing behind Calleigh with his hands on his hips and an eyebrow quirked as he mouthed the word 'horse'.

Rick killed the engine and climbed out of the car, tossing the keys to Calleigh as she tossed him her set. Then she hurried over to the trailer and peaked in the window to check on the horse inside. "He seems to be calm now," she announced.

_About time_, Rick thought to himself as he turned to face Horatio. "How come you didn't mention that you were allergic to horses?"

Horatio ducked his head to hide the blush he could feel forming. "Oops, I forgot."

"You forgot?"

"Well, honestly, how was I supposed to know that you were going to encounter a horse; and besides, with everything else going on can you blame for not remembering?" Horatio asked, motioning between the two of them while Calleigh was still distracted by the horse.

Rick just blinked at him.

"Here, before I forget. Take these, it will help with the allergies." Horatio said, handing Rick a pill bottle.

"What is this?"

"It's my prescription non-drowsy allergy medicine. I rarely have to take it, thankfully, but it works."

"Where did you get it?"

Horatio ducked his head. "The day we sparred, I grabbed it out of my gym bag before I handed it over to you."

"Why?"

"We still weren't getting along too well at the time and, on top of everything else, I didn't need the aggravation of you trying to find out what they were for." Horatio explained, frowning as a thought struck him. "Sorry, I honestly wasn't' thinking."

"I can't really raise too much of a stink when technically it is your medication. However, just be glad that no one had reason to look inside your… my locker because that wouldn't have looked good for either of us. Especially when everyone thinks I'm you and you're me," Rick replied, slipping the bottle into his suit pocket, before glancing over at Calleigh. She had just managed to get the horse out of the trailer, and he threw his head back and snorted playfully before she tied him to the back of the horse trailer.

Horatio would have had to have been blind to see the longing in Rick's… no his eyes to get close to the horse. "You really like horses, don't you?"

After a quick glance to make sure that Calleigh was still busy with the horse, Rick gave his head a nod. "I've grown up around them. My grandparents on my mom's side always had several at any given time." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Every time we visited them, after greeting Nan and Pop, my first stop was always to the barn. Mom always used to say that I was born knowing how to ride."

"So the fact that I'm allergic is really bothering you isn't it?"

"I won't lie. It _is _frustrating," Rick admitted.

"But?"

"But your allergies to them could be a whole lot worse, so a little sneezing isn't the end of the world."

"I'd never pegged you for an optimist."

"Only when it involves horses."

Horatio shrugged. "So what is that?" he asked, noticing the plastic bag that Rick was holding in his left hand.

"Some coordinates that Darius left behind in the security company's car."

"And you're thinking that it might lead to where Lydia is buried. You're going to be a good addition to the team even if there are _some_ people who might disagree if they knew.

"Speaking of, have you seen Delko recently?"

Horatio frowned briefly before schooling his features. "Yeah, he was in the break room while I was giving Adam a tour of the lab. He tried to get him to ditch me and go with him." He smiled briefly when Rick growled.

"He did what?"

"Don't worry, Adam is a smart kid and politely turned him down explaining that he was having a good time."

Rick nodded. "Well as much as I'm looking forward to it, I best go and find Delko."

There was no response from Horatio, so he glanced over at his body. "What?" he asked when he noticed that Horatio was tilting his head looking at him.

"Your sarcasm in my body is definitely weird."

Rick smirked but said nothing as he quickly schooled his featured before turning to face Calleigh. "How are you doing? Everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, H."

"If that's the case, I'm going to the break room to see if Eric is still there."

Rick shoved his hands into his pockets as he rode the elevator up to the crime lab's floor. He nervously twirled the medicine bottle around in his pocket as he calmly strode from the elevator to the break room. Sure enough, there was Eric sitting there, staring off into space.

Rick frowned. He was tempted to sneak up behind Eric and startle him, but he figured it was best if he went on and took some of the allergy medicine before he started to get worse again. Rick walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water and opened it. After getting a mouthful, he opened the allergy medicine and took a pill out before popping it into his mouth and swallowed. Then, after putting the medicine back into his jacket pocket, he walked over and stood behind Delko. "Eric."

Rick had to seriously struggle not to burst out laughing at Eric's response. The younger man jumped and knocked over his glass of water which flowed off the table and onto his pants. Delko jumped up, knocking the chair backwards. "Don't you ever make noise?"

Instead of saying anything in response, Rick just tilted his head towards Eric. "Why don't you go get changed then meet me back here. We might have a lead in the Johnson case."

"Oh, so now you actually want my help," Eric winced as those words escaped his mouth. He hadn't meant to say them out loud. _Stupid, Delko. That was just stupid_.

Rick took a breath and slowly let it out. "Eric, I don't know what your problem is, but I suggest you get some help before it lands you in hot water."

"Are you telling me Stetler is about to start something?"

"Enough, Mr. Delko," Rick growled softly and that was enough to shut the other man up. "No, Rick is not trying to start any trouble for once. Sadly, I wish that I could honestly say the same about you. I heard about what you tried to pull earlier and, quite frankly, I'm not pleased."

"Horatio?"

Rick turned his head so that he was staring into Delko's eyes and the younger man quickly averted his gaze. "I tried to be lenient when Ryan joined the team. We were all still grieving and he joined the team under difficult circumstances. I will admit you are dealing with him better now, but the point is this is getting to become a problem."

"I don't see how when Rick is Internal Affairs and only around for the duration of this case."

"That is still to be determined."

"What is that supposed to mean, Horatio?"

"It means that the subject is closed. Mr. Delko, go to the locker room and chance clothes then meet me in the audiovisual lab. We have work to do." With that, Rick left the break room and headed towards Horatio's office leaving a flabbergasted Eric standing there.

After locking the allergy medicine in the desk drawer, Rick sighed. He was debating on calling Horatio but decided that that particular discussion could wait till later. He stood up and, after adjusting his tie, made his way towards the audiovisual lab. Rick smirked. He found it amusing that he was able to move almost as silently as Horatio could.

Cooper never even looked up when Rick entered the lab. He stood back and watched the younger man work. He watched Cooper for a little over five minutes and while he didn't know exactly what the lab tech was doing, it looked impressive. "Nice work."

"AAARGH!" Cooper cried out as he just about jumped out of his skin earning a smirk from Dave Benton.

"Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not. I think you just gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry."

"Just stop sneaking up on people."

Before Rick could respond, the door to the audiovisual lab opened and Eric slowly walked inside coming to a stop beside Rick.

"What can I do for the two of you?"

"Darius left what we believe to be map coordinates behind."

"So you want me to try and figure out where they lead?"

"Yes."

Cooper cracked his knuckles. "So let me see these mysterious coordinates."

"It is 6601-C6," Rick read out to him. During all of this, Eric remained silent, but Rick caught him sneaking glances in his direction when he thought that the older man wasn't looking.

Finally, Rick couldn't take anymore and he turned to face Delko. "What is it? You keep sneaking glances over at me?"

"I'm just trying to figure out what you meant when you said 'That is still to be determined' in reference to my comment about Stetler. It's not like you to keep secrets from us."

Cooper cleared his throat and focused all of his attention onto his current task not wanting to get involved. Rick slowly counted to ten in his head before he allowed himself to speak. "I'm not keeping secrets. Calleigh knows and, if I thought you could be mature enough to handle it, I'd tell you. I haven't had a chance to talk with Ryan about it yet so don't go interrogating him."

Eric opened his mouth to object but Rick cut him off by holding up his hand. "Remember what I said to you in the break room?"

Cooper cleared his throat. "I believe that the coordinates you gave me are from a Florida Street Guide."

"Is it local?" Rick asked.

"Yep, the page definitely corresponds to a location inside Dade County."

"Why don't you cross reference that general location with the soil evidence that Wolfe collected from the shovel?" Eric suggested.

"Good idea, Eric." Rick replied honestly as Cooper punched some keys to do that.

"It leads to a wetlands area in Homestead."

"Good work. Come on Eric, let's go."

Eric reluctantly followed, still trying to figure out what Horatio could have possibly meant. He was so distracted that he hadn't realized the older man had stopped and walked right into him as he pushed the call button for the elevator. "Sorry, H."

Rick rolled his eyes, but said nothing. The elevator chose that moment to arrive and the doors slid open with a ding. Before Rick could step into it, his phone began to ring. He turned around to face Eric. "Why don't you go on down and I'll meet you at the Hummer?"

"Okay," Eric readily agreed. Rick waited until the elevator doors slid closed before he allowed himself to smirk and answered the phone. "Lieutenant Caine."

"It's me. Did you find anything out yet?"

Rick headed for the stairwell and waited until he was through the door and heard it slam shut behind him before he answered Horatio. "We may have a lead on where Lydia Johnson is buried."

"Those coordinates pan out?"

"When Delko suggested that Cooper cross reference the soil evidence that Ryan collected, they did." Rick rubbed the back of his neck.

"What is it that you aren't telling me?"

"Well, Delko kind of got smart with me and I called him on it."

"He did what?"

"He mumbled something along the lines of 'now you want my help' under his breath, forgetting what good hearing you have and I called him on it."

"There's more isn't it?"

"He… um… sort of knows that Calleigh knows something he doesn't."

"Would that something have to do with that offer made?"

"Yes and he doesn't know what it is. I told him if I thought he was mature enough to handle it that I'd have told him and that Ryan didn't know so not to interrogate him."

"How did he take it?"

"Well…"

"Well what?"

"I reminded him what I told him in the break room and then Cooper spoke up and the conversation drifted back to the case."

"What did you find out?"

"We think that she may be buried in the wetland area around Homestead."

There was a short pause as he heard footsteps over the connection. When Horatio spoke up again, his voice was low. "I have something that might help you out. I've got a favor that you can call in…"

"What is it?" Rick listened as Horatio explained it. He was just finishing up when Rick heard the sound of the elevator door ping loudly over the phone. "Are you standing by the elevator?"

"Yeah, and speaking of, he's here."

Before Rick could end the call, he heard his name being growled out by Delko. Sighing, he ended the call and hurried down the last remaining stairs before calmly walking out of the stairwell and into the parking garage.

Rick emerged from the stairwell in time to see Eric shove Horatio as Calleigh shouted at Eric. However before he had a chance to say anything, Horatio had reacted. Rick watched as Eric was taken by surprise and pinned effortlessly, similar to the way he himself had been pinned in their sparring match.

"What is going on here?"


	24. Chapter 24

"Horatio, get him to let me up," Eric replied, as he struggled uselessly against Horatio's hold.

"Not until I know what is going on. Calleigh?"

Before she could answer the elevator dinged loudly, signaling the arrival of someone else to the parking garage. As soon as the doors slid open, Ryan Wolfe walked out. He took in the scene before him, and blinked. "Okay, someone please tell me what I missed?"

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ryan, where have you been?"

The startled look only lasted a second, but Ryan found that he liked it when Horatio called him by his name. "I've been reviewing all of the files and information that New York had on Darius. I hadn't realized that it was past lunchtime until my stomach growled," he explained before he walked over to where Eric was pinned. "So what did you do to land yourself in this predicament?"

"Shut up, Wolfe."

Rick had to admit that it was amusing to watch Delko struggle against a hold that he himself knew that there was no way of getting out of unless Horatio allowed it. "Calleigh?"

"As I'm sure you are aware, Rick called you."

"Yes, I am aware of that. Please continue."

"Well, just as he ended the call with you Eric arrived via the elevator and tried to shove Rick out of his way."

"And I reacted."

"Is that the same hold you had Horatio in when you pinned him in the sparring match?" Ryan asked. Then, as an afterthought, he added. "No offense, Horatio. I was just curious."

Rick just gave a slight nod of his head, indicating that he had heard what Wolfe had said. Everyone but Horatio blinked when a flash went off. He had seen Calleigh removing it from her pocket.

"Hey-"

"Great idea, Calleigh." Ryan said, ignoring Eric's protests, once he had recovered from the surprise of the unexpected flash. He walked over and pulled his phone out of his pocket and snapped one as well before emailing it to himself.

"Wolfe, give me your phone."

"No," he answered with a smirk. "Just in case something happens to my phone," he explained, when he noticed Calleigh's puzzled look and Eric's furious one.

"Now that you two have had your fun, would you get him to let me up?"

"No," the two criminalists replied in unison.

Rick sighed. "Eric, are you going to behave?"

The silence in response stretched out. Rick was about to ask him again when he heard Delko inhale deeply as he struggled a little more. When it was clear that he was not going to be able to free himself, he mumbled something under his breath.

"We couldn't hear you," Horatio told him.

"I know you heard what I said Stetler," Eric snapped. "But for the others, I said 'fine'."

"Rick," Rick replied with a nod of his head in their direction.

"Okay, I'll let him go," Horatio said, but made no move to get up.

"Rick?" Rick said with an amused tone in his voice.

"What? Oh, yeah." Horatio released his hold on Eric, who quickly scrambled away from him.

Eric scrambled back to his feet, glaring at the brunette and wanting nothing more than to push him again. Horatio, having worked with Eric for so long, knew what he was thinking and simply raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. Delko growled and took a step forwards.

"Eric!" Calleigh snapped.

He backed up and stood beside her, sending one last glare Horatio's way before turning to face Rick. "So what's the plan, H?" Eric asked, while brushing the dust off of his shirt and pants.

Rick fought the urge to roll his eyes. "The plan is this. Calleigh, are you going to be okay with taking the horse and trailer back to the Cocoa Riding Club by yourself?"

"It's fine with me. It's not the first time I've pulled a horse trailer you know."

"Eric, you and Rick are coming with me."

"But H!"

"Eric, this is why you both are coming with me. Someone needs to keep an eye on the two of you."

"Hey!"

"What about me, H?"

"Ryan, you said that you were going to lunch. When you get back, I want you to find Mac and help him go through the footage from the camera in the security car. He should be back by then."

"I can do that."

"Good, now let's get going. Rick, you can drive. I have a favor that I need to call in."

"He can _what_? H, are you crazy?"

"Eric, Rick is driving. I'm calling in a favor so it's not like I'm going to be able to drive and talk on the phone at the same time."

"Why can't I drive?"

"Um… Eric, I don't think that's a good idea."

"No one asked you, Wolfe."

Rick cleared his throat bringing everyone's attention back to him. "Eric," he said sternly.

"But H…"

Rick just lowered his sunglasses as he looked over at Delko while Horatio quirked an eyebrow at him. Eric gulped and looked down at his feet. "Fine, I'm shutting up now."

Ryan looked at Eric, before turning his attention over to Calleigh. She was just standing there watching the three men with an unreadable expression on her face. _What is going on here anyway?_

"Horatio?"

"What is it Ryan?"

_If this gets him to start calling me Mr. Wolfe again I'm going to drag Eric back to the gym for another sparring match even if I'm going to lose. _"Well, you see…"

"What is it?"

"Eric was just offering to drive. I don't see what the need to glare at him was," Ryan hurriedly added, gulping as Rick turned his attention back to him.

"Ryan," Rick began, but couldn't help but notice how relieved the younger man looked that he wasn't being called Mr. Wolfe. Resisting the urge to elbow Horatio in his arm, he pulled the sunglasses off.

"Yes, H?"

"Eric is skating on thin ice right now. He smarted off to me earlier in the break room."

"Eric did what?" Ryan hissed.

"He was acting like a spoiled brat who wasn't getting his way."

"Still is," Horatio muttered.

"What did you say, Stetler?" Eric growled.

"I said that you are still acting like one."

"As much as I hate to say it, Rick is right, Eric," Calleigh agreed.

Eric groaned. "What? Calleigh, I can't believe it. Not you too."

The blonde placed her hands on her hips and glared at Eric. "'Not me too' what?"

Eric just stared on in disbelief. "Calleigh," he hissed. "It's Stetler."

"Let's face it, Eric. You have been treating him really poorly."

"This is not happening. I honestly can't believe this."

Ryan looked around at everyone in confusion. He couldn't believe the way Eric was acting and that Horatio and Calleigh were actually taking up for Stetler. "What is it you can't believe Eric?" Ryan asked.

"Ryan, this is Stetler we're talking about. Don't tell me that you've forgotten how he treats us."

"But," Rick said, clearing his throat, momentarily forgetting that he was Horatio.

"I haven't."

"Then you know how he's always telling us that we are endangering the department's reputation. Not to mention the fact that he's out to get Horatio."

"You do have a point there." Ryan admitted.

"But, has he actually done anything like that this time?" Calleigh asked the two of them.

"Besides," Rick butted in. "He was just doing his job in the first place."

"And both Calleigh and Horatio made valid points as well."

Eric just stared at them. "Ryan that really isn't the point. Calleigh, you just wait and see. Horatio, you of all people, I can't believe. It was only a couple of days ago that he had you arrested and put into holding for MURDER."

"Well, when you consider the evidence that he had…"

"Dammit, Horatio!" Eric exploded. "Isn't it obvious that the evidence didn't play into it at all?"

"What are you talking about, Eric? The evidence is always the most important aspect of the case."

"For you, that is most definitely true, H. But it's not the case for him," Eric said jerking his head in Horatio's direction.

"Where are you getting your evidence for you to draw this conclusion from?" Horatio asked pointedly.

Eric jerked his head to stare at Horatio as Calleigh and Ryan watch on in stunned silence. "Stetler, honestly, I can't believe you asked such a stupid question. Everyone knows that you have a personal feud with Horatio. He beat you out for the Lieutenant position, and everyone likes him. Unlike you. Even Yelina likes him better than you."

"Now Eric, that's not…"

Delko didn't let Rick finish, he just held up his hand. "Horatio, just stop. I know that you always want to see the good in people, especially when it comes to other officers. But, this is Stetler we're talking about. There is not a single speck of good in him." Eric was too busy glaring at Horatio to notice that Rick was backing away slowly, clearly hurt.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me the first time, Stetler. You've done nothing but try to drag us down. It's obvious that you are trying to take us away from Horatio. It's _not_ because you think it's the right thing do to and it most certainly is _not_ because it's your job. You are doing it because you know it is one of the few ways you can actually hurt Horatio. I'm not going to let you do that anymore."

Horatio took a deep breath and when he spoke his voice was surprisingly calm. "You say it's me hurting him, but take a good look at what you just did to him. Besides, you were trained to look beyond your feelings and let the evidence speak. Right now, it's all pointing towards a biased young man." Horatio folded his arms across his chest as he glared at Eric.

Eric glanced over at Rick. "I'm sorry, Horatio, but the truth hurts." Jerking his head back in Horatio's direction, he glared at him. "You know what, Stetler? Nobody cares what you think and they wouldn't want to hear the opinions of anyone who would beat his girlfriend."

"Now wait just a minute," Horatio demanded. "I did _not_ do anything like that." _Of course I had to learn the fact that she did it to herself the hard way_.

"Nice try, but there isn't a single one of us that believes that. Did you hear me; _no one_ believes your sorry excuses. In fact, I'm willing to bet that if any one of us did something like that; we'd be fired in a heartbeat."

Horatio glared at his former subordinate. "You're wrong about that and I'm pretty sure that I know of at least one person that honestly believes me. You're making it sound like I enjoy working for IAB. Well, you know something?"

"What?"

"I don't like it. Working for Internal Affairs stinks, no one treats you with any respect, and I'm not happy there. But it IS a job."

"Respect? You have got to be joking. Stetler, people don't hate IAB. It's YOU that they can't stand."

Rick's eyes widened as he noticed that Horatio was seriously struggling to maintain a hold on his temper. "Gentlemen, please!"

Horatio stalked over to stand in front of Eric and glared at him. _I just wonder how you'd take it if you knew that Rick was going to be one of your future teammates_. He thought to himself as he struggled not to let something slip.

"What?" Eric asked with a smirk. "Did you want to say something, Stetler? I'm surprised. You're being a man for once and saying it to my face."

Horatio gritted his teeth before he glared at Eric one last time. Then, without a word, he turned to walk back over to where Rick was standing. He shot Delko a glare when he noticed that the other man was smirking at him. Horatio said nothing, but glanced over at Rick before looking over to where Calleigh and Ryan were standing, looking horrified.

"That's what I thought. You don't have the balls to do it."

"That is _enough_, Eric."

Horatio took a step forwards only to have Rick grab him by his arm.

Eric didn't pay any attention to the warning. "What are you going to do? I bet you wouldn't dare to hit me in front of any potential witnesses. Especially when it is Horatio, Calleigh, and Ryan."

"I said that was ENOUGH, Eric," Rick growled.

As soon as the redhead stopped talking he was met by silence. Eric, Calleigh, and Ryan exchanged worried glances. Calleigh's mouth dropped open because, in all the years that she had worked with him, the only time she had ever heard Horatio yell was if someone was in danger. Ryan took a step backwards so that he was standing behind her when Rick spoke up after the brief pause.

"That is no way to treat a future teammate." He winced as soon as those words left his mouth. _Oops_, he thought to himself. _Me and my big mouth_.

"A WHAT?" Eric practically screeched.

"Huh?" Ryan asked, jerking his head up to stare at Rick as if he had just grown another head.

Calleigh's eyes widened, but she said nothing. Instead she gave Horatio a questioning look as if to ask why did you have to announce that now?


	25. Chapter 25

"I… He… What? I… Him? No, it's not possible."

"What is it, Eric?" Rick asked.

Horatio continued to glare at Delko. "He said I would be a future teammate. Really, was that so hard to understand?"

"No! Horatio, haven't you been listening to anything that I've said?"

"I heard everything that you said," Rick replied, not bothering to hide the growl. He noticed that Calleigh and Ryan both flinched when they heard his tone.

"Then why are you-"

Ryan placed a hand on Eric's shoulder. "Eric, can I have a word with you?"

There was a pause as Eric just stared at him. "Um, sure, Ryan." He shot one last glare in Horatio's direction before he turned and followed Ryan over to the other side of the parking garage.

"What is wrong with you? Can't you see that you're pushing Horatio's buttons?"

"But…"

"And, while we're at it, what just happened anyway?"

"You don't know either?"

Ryan simply stared at Eric. "Honestly, give me some credit here. Would I have asked you if I remotely had a clue about what was going on?"

Eric swallowed. "You have a point there."

Calleigh gave them a look before she shook her head and walked over to where Horatio and Rick were standing. "You do know that wasn't the best way to break the news to them, Horatio."

Rick gave her a small smile. "It sort of just slipped out."

Horatio said nothing, just kept glaring over at Eric. Turning around, he walked over to the nearest wall and punched it as hard as he could.

"Excuse me, Calleigh." Rick said, before walking over to check on Horatio.

"It's not a problem, Horatio," she replied, giving him a small smile before walking over to deal with Eric and Ryan.

"Horatio?" Rick asked quietly.

"What is it?"

"You need to calm down," He replied, as he placed his hand on Horatio's shoulders and felt how tense he was.

"I'm trying." Horatio whispered back. When Rick began to massage his shoulders, Horatio had to fight the urge to lean back and enjoy it. "Well, the cat is out of the bag now," he said with a sigh.

Horatio rubbed his hand, which was still throbbing, before looking down at it. There weren't any cuts on it, but it would probably be one big bruise in the morning. "Punching that wall wasn't exactly the smartest thing I've ever done."

Rick gave Horatio a shrug. "Well, it was probably better for you that it was the wall and not Eric."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cause despite it being him that started it, you and I both know that he wouldn't hesitate to file assault charges on you."

"Was he this bad with you?"

Rick looked down at the ground. Maybe if he pretended that he hadn't heard the question…

"Rick?"

"Fine, you win." He raised his head to look Horatio in his eyes. "I'm not going to get used to the fact that you're taller than me," he said, giving his head a shake.

"Rick."

With a sigh, the redhead spoke. "It was worse."

"How much worse was it?"

_You weren't around,_ Rick thought to himself. _No one was, and if I had responded it would have been my word against Eric Delko's and we know how that would have turned out._ "It's not important, now."

Horatio smiled sadly. "How come you never mentioned it?" He paused. "Wait, don't answer that." He said with a sigh. "I'm pretty sure that I know why." The brunette took a deep breath. "I think I'm calm enough to deal with this now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am." Horatio replied as he took a few steps in the direction of the others.

"Horatio?" Rick called out softly.

Horatio froze midstride. He glanced over at where Calleigh, Eric, and Ryan were and was relieved to notice that they hadn't heard. "What is it?" He asked, walking back over to stand beside Rick.

"He'll get better, right, Horatio?"

"Who? Eric?" Horatio asked.

"No, Horatio, the Energizer Bunny. Of course I meant Eric."

Horatio gave Rick a small smile. "I deserved that." He sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "In answer to your question, I'm hopeful that he will. It took him a while to accept Ryan so it's not like there isn't a precedent of this behavior from him before." He purposely ignored Rick's snort of disbelief. "If he doesn't, we'll work something out. Besides we do have something in our favor."

"What is that?"

"Calleigh is on our side."

Rick honestly tried to maintain a neutral expression, but he couldn't help but quirk his lip upward at that. "You're being very optimistic. What about Ryan?"

"Honestly, with him I'm not sure. Ryan hasn't made his view known one way or the other. But I'm sure he'll be one to allow the evidence to speak before he decides fully to make up his mind." Horatio shrugged as he looked over at Rick.

Rick frowned. Maybe it wasn't meant for him to ever be happy. He gave a small sigh. "Maybe…"

There was a brief pause as Horatio studied Rick's face. "What?"

"Maybe this isn't such a great idea after all."

"Rick, look me in the eyes. Don't give me any of that. I wouldn't have made the offer if I didn't think that you could do it. You are a natural and, quite frankly, I don't really understand why you didn't attempt to try for a position with CSI. When we were on the plane, I won't deny that I was testing you and guess what? You passed."

"But, Horatio, you and your team have a real good thing going for you. I don't want to be what messes it up."

Horatio sighed. After the talk they had the other night, he was beginning to realize that Rick's low self-esteem was because of how the other man's father had treated him. Horatio had to admit that there were times he felt the same. Taking a deep breath, the brunette really hoped that he never met the elder Stetler because he wasn't sure how he would react. "Rick, you are not going to mess it up. This situation has opened my eyes to some problems that I wasn't aware of even existing. Now that they've been brought to my attention, it can only make things better in the long run when we return back to normal. Yes, there are going to be bumps along the road; but when is anything worthwhile ever easy? Besides, life isn't perfect. We both learned that the hard way, didn't we?"

"Horatio, I don't want your team to think any less of you. Maybe Calleigh was a lucky break. What about Ryan? Or Alexx, for that matter?"

"Rick, if they thought less of me because of something like this, then they weren't the people I thought I hired. As far as Alexx is concerned, let her get to know you and I'm sure she'll adopt you as one of her own. She did take to Ryan. Speaking of," Horatio risked a glance over at the three teammates who were still talking amongst themselves. "Speaking of Ryan, he's known how it feels to not be welcomed…"

"But Wolfe wasn't in IAB." Rick countered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It's going to be alright, Rick."

"I… I…"

Horatio gave Rick a small smile. If reassuring wasn't working, he could maybe try another tactic. "If you're getting cold feet, I understand."

Rick growled softly. "I am not getting cold feet. I'll prove it to you."

Horatio gave a small smirk. _I knew that would work_, he thought to himself. "Come on, and let's go see what is happening over there, then."

Rick shrugged and took his time so that by the time both men had made it over to where the rest of the team was, he had calmed himself down.

"Hey, H. Rick." Calleigh greeted them, before turning her attention back to Ryan and Eric. When Delko spotted them he turned and started to storm off but Calleigh grabbed him by his shirt. "Oh no you don't."

"Calleigh, let go of me."

"Not yet."

"Were you serious, H?" Ryan asked.

Rick sighed. "Yes, I was. Rick will be a part of our team. I'm not sure exactly when, but it will be soon."

"But _why,_ H?"

"Rick has shown potential. He did an excellent job of finding evidence on that plane. I even quizzed him and he passed that as well."

"I wonder if Horatio has factored in the fact that Rick hasn't hit you yet for the way you've been treating him. I know I would have slugged you a long time ago if you had treated me that way," Calleigh replied, adding her two cents. Horatio guiltily looked down at his sore knuckles, but didn't say anything.

"Why now, though? Why is all of this happening now?"

"Eric, what do you mean by that?" Ryan asked, puzzled.

Horatio and Rick glanced worriedly at each other as Eric redirected his attention from Wolfe to them. "If Rick has shown so much potential, why didn't you try this earlier, Horatio? If he's so observant, why hasn't he always been a part of the team? There is a reason why he is in IAB and you're CSI. Horatio, you're good at what you do and… well… he's in IAB. Yet, that doesn't do a thing to explain why the two of you were always at each other's throats and now you're not! And don't give me any of that sparring match bullshit, because it hasn't changed _everything_."

Rick turned and started to walk off. Horatio, knowing if Rick did, he'd never get him to reconsider joining the team. He grabbed Rick by his arm in order to stop him from walking off. Horatio glared at Eric. "Now look here. I don't know what the _hell_ your problem is, but that is no way to speak to your boss.

Rick stopped dead in his tracks, surprised at how Horatio was talking to Eric. He just stared at Horatio, who realized that he still had a hold of Rick's arm and released his grip on it.

"Let me guess, you think you're better than I am? What is with the 180, Stetler?"

"No, I don't think that I'm better than you."

"Yeah right," Eric snorted.

"And, as far as the attitude change goes, I've had something happen recently that has changed how I see things. And, let me just say this. It was a real eye opener."

Rick glanced towards Horatio. "Er, Rick, I don't think that was a good answer." He whispered.

Sure enough, Eric's interest was piqued. The younger man raised an eyebrow. "So, Stetler, what happened?"

Horatio glared at Delko but said nothing.

Eric smirked. "Can this be? You have a 'thing' for Horatio, don't you?"

_Well, Crap._ He glanced over at Rick who was just staring at the two of them. _ A little help would be nice, Rick_. "Delko, what happened is none of your business. And, if it was your business, I'm not sure that I would tell you with the way you've been acting."

Eric laughed. "This is rich. Oh, God I can't believe this. H, come on, did you honestly not see this earlier? Look how nervous he is."

Horatio was too busy fighting the urge to just bury his head in his hands. Somehow he managed to maintain a neutral expression though he didn't trust his voice enough to say anything. Rick simply cleared his throat. "I… I don't know what you're talking about, Eric."

_Real smooth way to answer the question,_ _Rick_, Horatio thought to himself.

"Honestly, Horatio, have you ever paid any attention to the way he looks at you?"

"Eric!" Calleigh hissed as Ryan maneuvered himself around so that he was standing behind her.

"I suggest that you stop while you are ahead, Mr. Delko," Horatio growled.

Eric, paying no attention to Calleigh, just continued. His smirk got bigger as he turned to face Horatio. "The way you look at him, you eyes just follow him all… the… way… down…"

Ryan looked on horrified, as Calleigh hissed Eric's name once again. Horatio was struggling to keep the rather fragile hold he had on his temper.

Rick closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Eric."

"Horatio, can't you see what is going on?"

"Eric, what you are doing right now is bordering on harassment."

"What about what he wants to do to you, H?"

"Eric!" Ryan hissed, since Calleigh didn't seem to be getting through.

"What? It's the truth and I don't see Rick attempting to prove me wrong."

Horatio's hands curled into fists as he was losing the battle to maintain a hold on his temper. "I don't have to prove anything to you. You're doing a real good job of proving that you're an ass."

"Whatever, Stetler," Eric scoffed.

Delko's reaction was the final straw, in causing Horatio to lose the battle of controlling his temper. He took a step forwards only to feel a hand grabbing the collar of both his shirt and jacket.

"Don't do it, Rick."

Eric smirked, as if daring him to come over and pop him one.

"You've gone too far as well, Eric."

"What?"

"The two of you will be working in the same department soon enough. I expect you to be civil towards each other."

"Not with _him_." Eric said, folding his arms across his chest.

"If I pair the two of you up, then yes you will." _Not that I plan on doing it and if we change back before, I hope Horatio doesn't as well_, he thought to himself.

"Eric, just shut the hell up," Calleigh hissed.

"I have to agree with Calleigh at this point." Ryan stated when Eric stared at him. At that, Delko refocused his glare back onto Horatio.

Ryan sighed, emerging from the safety of standing behind Calleigh. He gave Eric a tug on his sleeve. "Why don't you come grab lunch with me? You need to calm down before you dig yourself into an even deeper hole."

Eric glared at Ryan. "I'm not the problem here. He is."

"Eric," Ryan replied, with a stern edge to his voice.

They glared at each other for a couple more seconds before Eric sighed. "That's probably a good idea."

"That's a very good idea, Ryan," Rick agreed with a nod, not loosening his grip on Horatio's collar.

Ryan gave Eric one more tug on his sleeve. "Come on, let's go." Delko turned and glared at Horatio one last time causing Wolfe to sigh. "Come on." At that, Eric finally gave in and followed Ryan to his car.

Rick waited until after Eric and Ryan had left before he released his hold on Horatio. He took a step towards the wall, intent on slamming his head into it only to be stopped by Horatio grabbing him by his tie as Calleigh watched them but said nothing.

Rick shook his head. "I'm sorry about that, Rick."

Horatio sighed. "It could have gone worse."

"How so?"

"Calleigh and Wolfe could have had a similar reaction."

"I wouldn't, Rick." The blonde stated, looking up at Horatio.

Horatio gave her a sad smile. "Thanks, Calleigh, that means a lot.

"Eric, well, he's reactionary…"

"There is no need to make excuses for him. It's nothing new for me."

Rick sighed as Calleigh gave her head a small shake. "I'm sorry, Rick."

Horatio, continuing to smile sadly, turned to look at Calleigh. "I don't suppose I can see that picture you took?"

She grinned at him. "_If_ it will cheer you up, then it's no problem." Calleigh chuckled as she showed it to him.

Horatio grinned as he looked over at Rick and Calleigh. "He does look surprised, doesn't he?"

Rick managed to get a glimpse of the picture and nodded his head in agreement, as he gave Horatio a pat on his shoulder. "I think that he'll get used to the idea soon enough."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because that's exactly how Eric and Ryan were a while back." Rick said, causing Calleigh to giggle. Both men turned to look at her.

"Calleigh?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing."

"Uh huh…" Horatio remarked as he watched her, fully believing that Calleigh was up to something.

"It's just that Horatio is right, Rick. Eric just needs a bit of time to get used to the idea."

He glanced over at Rick before he returned his attention back to Calleigh. "What about Ryan?"

"I wouldn't worry too much about him. He remembers how it felt."

Rick raised an eyebrow at Horatio, and gave him a brief smile, before schooling his features.

"Okay. Calleigh?"

"What is it, Rick?

"Is there any way you can get me a copy of that picture printed out?"

"That's not a problem. I'll swing by Kinko's on my way home today."

"Thanks." Horatio told her, giving her a shy smile. They stood there for a few moments before the horse inside of the trailer neighed loudly.

"I guess that's my cue. I'll talk to the two of you later," she said, waving as she hurried over to the Hummer.

Horatio sighed. "Well, I guess we need to go."

Rick glanced over at him and smiled weakly. "I think that would be the best thing to do."

Horatio reached over and gave Rick a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. "See, I wasn't the only one that thinks you'll make a good addition and that the others will come around. You'll be fine."

Rick just gave his head a small nod in response but made no attempt to move.

"Come on."

Rick said nothing as he climbed into the Hummer.

"Keys?" Horatio asked. "And I'm not sure where we're going," he added with a small smile, hoping to elicit some kind of response from Rick.

When Rick spoke, it was evident that his mind was in a faraway place. "I don't think any of us are, Horatio."

Horatio gave Rick's knee a small squeeze. "You're going to be just fine. I promise."

Rick smiled, as he placed his left hand on top of Horatio's hand. "Thanks. I tried to be nice…"

"You don't give yourself enough credit sometimes, Rick."

There was a long pause and Horatio was starting to wonder if Rick had heard him when the other man finally spoke up. "It is really that obvious that I…"

"That you what?"

"That I'm… attracted to you, Horatio?"

Horatio ducked his head. "Well my lack of response might have confirmed it, but I didn't want to deny it either. If we hadn't have had that little talk after the Yelina fiasco, I might still be completely oblivious. Then again, when it comes to people paying attention to me that way, I'm a little slow on realizing it. Case in point, Yelina. Sorry about that."

"Let's just hope Delko doesn't spread it like Yelina already threatened to do."

"Maybe she already talked to Eric…"

"I doubt that."

"Why do you say that? Evidentially, you know her better than I do if she could have fooled me for so long." He sighed, taking the keys from Rick and started up the vehicle.

"I think it's more along the lines of 'I hope that she didn't'."

There was another brief pause. "Rick, I hope you know that there is nothing for you to be ashamed of."

Rick smiled weakly at Horatio. "You know as well as I do how the majority of law enforcement feels about that on the force. Now that things are finally starting to go right, so to speak, I don't want to end up hurt at a crime scene just because of some prejudice. It would be even worse if something happened to you. I'm not sure that I could deal with it if you were injured because of something like that."

Horatio looked away briefly, not able to bear seeing the pain in Rick's eyes. It was clear that the other man was speaking the truth. There was no faking something like that.

"I… I don't know what will happen if word gets out. I just know that it can't be good."

"Rick, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything that I've done either intentionally or unintentionally to make things rough on you. You really have had it difficult these last few years haven't you?"

Rick looked over at Horatio, not moving his hands. He liked the feel of them being connected. "It's alright."

"No, Rick, it isn't. If I had seen what was going on, and put a stop to it then things might not have gone so far."

"And then, we wouldn't have ended up in this predicament. Personally, as much as I hate to admit it, it has done us more good than I have ever wanted to believe."

Horatio chuckled softly. "Now who's being an optimist?"

Rick smiled at Horatio as he lifted the hand off of his knee and kissed it lightly.

Rick's breath caught at that and it was a moment before the surprise passed and he could breathe normally again. He glanced over at Horatio.

The brunette took a deep breath and let it out, before continuing. "I guess I am. You do realize that I'm serious when I say that I want this to work."

"I think…" Rick paused, before giving a nod of his head. "I think I want that too."

"But…"

"But what, Rick?"

"Would you mind too terribly if we take things slow. Maybe if we do, by the time we're ready for the next step we'll be back to normal and it won't be too weird."

Horatio smirked. "I'll try, but I hope we change back soon because as awkward as it might be, I'm not sure if I can take it slow for much longer."

"Just shut up and drive Horatio." Rick said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, tell me where we're going and make the call, Rick."

Rick blushed, as he reached into his pocket for the printout that Cooper had given him. "Right, sorry. Here you go."

Horatio smiled and gave Rick one last squeeze on his knee before he took the paper and pulled out of the parking garage and onto the road.

Rick pulled the phone out of his pocket and opened it up. He could feel his blush deepen. "Err, what's the number, Horatio?"

"Ron's number is (305) 555-6454. He's the one that owes me the favor."

"Okay." Rick replied as he punched the number into the phone. Horatio did his best to focus on driving as he listened to Rick's side of the conversation, helping out when needed. Horatio smirked as the other man sighed in relief upon ending the call. "Your friend talks too much."

Horatio said nothing in response but, turned his head giving Rick a brief smile before returning his attention back to the road. Neither of them spoke as Horatio navigated the streets of Miami.


	26. Chapter 26

Rick frowned as he replayed what had just happened over in his mind. He still wasn't sure if his joining the team was a good idea, but if Horatio and Calleigh thought things would work out, he would give them the benefit of the doubt. He just couldn't see Delko changing his attitude anytime soon.

Horatio remained silent until he had managed to merge onto the interstate. "Rick?"

"Yeah, Horatio, what is it?"

"I was just wondering…" His voice trailed off as he tried to figure out how the best way to ask the question.

"Wondering what?"

"I was wondering about how things went with Mac. Did he suspect anything was different?"

Rick folded his arms across his chest as he grumbled his answer. "I don't know anything about what Mac suspected, but I can tell you that I'm not too sure about him."

Horatio couldn't help it, his mouth quirked upward at the corner when he caught sight of Rick. The smile quickly morphed into a frown when his brain registered what Rick had said.

"Rick, what exactly is it that you are trying to say?"

Rick shrugged his shoulders. "Well… I'm not sure how to ask this… H, is Mac…?"

Most of Horatio's attention was on the road in front of him, so he wasn't all that focused on what Rick was trying to ask him. "Is Mac what Rick?"

"Maybe I'm seeing something that isn't there. That could be it."

"Rick?"

"Fine, Horatio." He began with a sigh. "What I'm trying to ask you is do you know if Mac is…"

"Do I know if Mac is what?"

"If Mac is gay, Horatio. Do you know if he is gay?"

"_What_?" Horatio asked as the Hummer started to veer off the road. Rick grabbed the 'oh SHIT' handle as the brunette jerked the Hummer back on to the road.

"I'll take that as a no."

"Are you positive?"

"Horatio, do I look like the type of person that would make something like this up?"

"Not really," Horatio admitted, taking a deep breath. "Tell me what happened to make you think this."

"Well…" Rick began before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

"Once we arrived at the stables I got a call from Eric. He was intent on telling me that he and Wolfe had concerns with me allowing Rick on this case." He growled loudly as he remembered the call. "I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Mac was watching a little intently, but at the time I didn't think much of it as the stable manager was approaching us."

"Is that all there was?"

"No, that was not all there was to it. After we explained the situation to him, the stable manager finally pointed us in the direction of where Alexa had last been seen. Honestly, I'm surprised that the place was running as smooth as it was because he was definitely a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket."

"Just get to the point, Rick."

He turned in his seat to face Horatio and growled at him. "I'm trying. That was when we were charged at by a panicked horse with no rider. While it was standing there, trying to get his breath, Mac approached and managed to grab a hold of his reins. It was about that point that your allergies really kicked in and, boy does that medicine of yours work wonders."

"Rick…"

"Okay, okay." He replied, holding up his hands. "It's going to take me a little bit to get there but you definitely need to know all of this." Rick explained hurriedly. "So, Mac made this comment about that being why I… no, you never had a rotation with the mounted police. Before I even had a chance to respond, he noticed something that had him calling me closer despite him knowing that I was allergic to horses."

"How in the world does that imply -"

"-Dammit, Horatio, I'm getting there if you would just give me the time to explain!" Rick butted in, interrupting the other man before he could finish his question.

"So, I walked over and Mac stepped closer to me. I could literally feel his breath on my neck as he pointed at the medallion on the horse's bride that had an A.E. engraved into it. Mac also noticed some blood on the saddle."

Horatio rubbed at his temples with his left hand. "So Mac stands close when he talks. It's kind of a requirement when you live in New York. Where are you going with this?"

"I retraced my steps back to the Hummer where I grabbed my… your kit. I was on the way back when some idiot slammed a metal gate causing the horse to spook once more. If it weren't for the fact that the manager was standing by the Hummer, I'd have figured it was him. Anyways, the horse managed to somehow escape from Mac's hold and the next thing I knew he was charging towards me."

"Then what happened? Are you going somewhere with -"

"– yes. Just…" Rick frowned. "Just please wait till I'm done and let me finish."

"Well, hurry up and get there then."

"So, Mac screams for me to watch out. When I looked up, I could see that the horse was charging towards me. I quickly threw your kit and the Kleenex to the side away from me." At that, Rick winced. "They are definitely tougher than they look. Anyways, I stood there watching as the horse bore down on me and as he went to run by, I reached out and grabbed his reins leaping up, onto him."

_He what? _Horatio thought to himself, as he blinked turning his head to stare at Rick, before returning his attention back to the road. "And you didn't fall off?"

Rick briefly glared at him. "No, I didn't." He took a deep breath and slowly let it out before he continued. "Once I was in the saddle, it took me a few minutes to get him back under control again. You should have seen the look on Mac's face when I brought the horse to a stop in front of him. Yes, there was surprise and yes, he was impressed. But there was something else there as well. Then Mac practically said that it was a shame because I was a natural on horseback and that the mounted police really could have used me. And let's not get started on how he was staring at me as I dismounted…"

"Okay…" Horatio shook his head, trying not to take his eyes off of the road and stare at Rick. "Now, I'm beginning to see where you're going but…"

"But what?"

"Hell, Rick, you just mounted a horse that was in a full gallop. Who in their right mind wouldn't be impressed?"

Rick refrained from commenting on that statement. Instead, he steered the conversation back to filling Horatio on what had transpired. "Anyways, things went a little better after that. We were alerted that the stable's security officer had been found, injured but alive. Speaking of which, why would Darius barely knick him with the knife after everything that he's done?"

"Rick, he's a psychopath. Why do you expect him to act rational?"

"You have a point there. Anyways, once rescue arrived and carted him off to the nearest hospital, I sneezed again and caught sight of Mac staring at me amused so I elbowed him in the side. That, in turn, caused him to sigh and swallow deeply."

Horatio briefly glanced over at Rick before returning his attention back to the road. "Rick, are you sure that you weren't paying more attention to him than he was to you?"

"Horatio!"

"I'm just saying…

"You know how I feel about you." Rick growled, taking a deep breath and counting to ten. "But it was definitely weird to be looked at that way by someone else especially when they were thinking it was you. Then, Darius threw an interesting taunt at Mac."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. He said something along the lines of 'You had to call for backup or was it more than that?' Then, he followed that up by suggesting that he had struck a nerve."

Rick glanced over at Horatio to see that he was nodding his head in a thoughtful way as if thinking over what he had said. "Is there anything else that I should know about?" he finally asked.

"Well, now that you mention it, yes there is. On the drive back, the topic steered towards favorite animals and tattoos. The reason why is before I got into the Hummer, Mac was distracted by something. When I asked him about it, Mac claimed that he had seen an eagle but when I asked him where it was he said that it was 'already gone'. Now, you and I both know that eagles don't fly with Superman's speed."

"He had seen an eagle?"

Rick folded his arms across his chest. "That was his dumb excuse, not mine."

"What was he looking up there for anyway?"

"Horatio, get with the program. That's the point. He was NOT looking up."

"Then, where exactly was he looking?"

Rick closed his eyes and dragged his hand down his face. "Do I have to draw you a diagram?" There was a brief pause, as Rick thought about how that sounded. "Don't answer that. He was looking at _your_ erm…"

"Why can't I answer that? I would love to see you try to draw a diagram of this, especially when you said that you couldn't draw to save your life."

"He was checking you out, H," Rick blurted out.

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"Yes, Horatio, I am."

"What side?"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT SIDE!"

"Yes, it does." Horatio's voice was so soft that Rick could barely hear him.

"Fine, have it your way." Rick said, rolling his eyes. "He was checking out your ass. Can we move on now?"

Horatio frowned at Rick's reaction. "No need for you to get huffy. I guess we can move on if you want to."

It was Rick's turn to rub his temples. "I want to. So, as we were climbing inside the Hummer, he said something along the lines of 'not knowing that I was into nature'. I guess he was surprised at how I wanted to see the nonexistent eagle. So, I bit back the comment that was on the tip of my tongue."

"Let me take a stab at that and say that it was something that had it slipped out would have given both of us away had he believed it."

Rick ducked his head down as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe…"

Horatio sighed. "What was it, Rick?"

"What I actually said was 'There's a lot about me that you don't know…' What I had managed to bite back that I didn't say was 'Like the fact that I'm not Horatio Caine'. Then, Mac was like 'really, tell me more'."

Horatio was seriously considering slamming his head into the steering wheel. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that if it had caused an accident the team would have had enough ammunition on 'Rick' to last a lifetime. "What did you say to him?"

"I told him that I was a little busy trying to steer the Hummer while pulling the horse trailer as we headed out into the Glades to see what the deal was with the security car. I heard him mutter under his breath to 'Get a grip' and when I asked, he denied saying anything.

"Then what happened?"

"I decided to change the subject and asked him what his favorite animal was. In response, he told me that not only was it the eagle but, the reasons why, and that he had gotten a tattoo of one in flight while drunk."

"Mac drinks?"

Rick just stared at Horatio. "Didn't I just say that?"

"Yes, I guess you did."

Rick dropped his voice down to a whisper, so Horatio had to strain in order to hear his next words. "He offered to take you to get a tattoo."

"He what?"

"Now you see why I said that you needed to know this stuff." Rick muttered before taking a deep breath.

"It's just that it surprised me. I didn't figure Mac to be the type of person who would do something like that…"

Rick winced, momentarily forgetting that Horatio's father had been an alcoholic. "Maybe it was back before you met him. Didn't he lose…?" He let his voice drift off as he got lost in thought.

"It might have happened when he lost his wife. I don't know many details, just the few comments that I've heard while at those forensic conferences whenever he was out of earshot. I don't know if is true or not."

"It's true," Horatio answered softly. "He lost her four years ago in the 9/11 attacks."

"That's rough." Rick admitted softly, glancing over at Horatio and finding him nodding in agreement. "So, maybe it was shortly after that. I'd imagine going through something like that would make anyone get drunk at least once."

"But still…"

"Horatio, you were both different people then. Hell, you're a completely different person now."

Horatio smiled weakly at that. "I guess you're right. Besides we didn't have much time to talk on that first case."

"You know I could get used to you saying that."

"Saying what?"

"Saying that I'm right."

Horatio chuckled softly at that, earning him a puzzled look from Rick. "Just thinking about how I hope that you say something I agree with in front of the team just to see the looks on their faces." He risked a glance over at his passenger and sighed. "There is more isn't there?"

Rick, thankful for the subject change, just nodded his head in agreement. "So after Mac mentioned the tattoo that he had which honestly, I don't think he had meant to say anything about. He had asked what mine was. Like an idiot, I thought he was talking about tattoos."

"What did you say?"

Rick rubbed his neck. "After a brief a pause I told him I didn't have any tattoos but I had almost answered with that I did have a tattoo."

Horatio pinched the bridge of his nose with his left hand. "Is that all?"

"No, it's not. Mac asked me if I was thinking about getting a tattoo and the way he was staring at me, I knew that he'd call me on it if I had lied."

"So, what did you tell him?"

"I told Mac that yes I was thinking about getting one of a wolf which was my favorite animal. That was when he made the offer about taking me to go and get one which I turned him down on saying that I needed some time to think it over. Sorry, H." He frowned and looked over at Horatio who was staring at the road in front of them, obviously distracted. "What is it, Horatio?"

"Well… that is partly the truth in my case."

"Wait. You… You, Horatio Caine, considered getting a tattoo?"

Rick could see a blush forming on the other man's face. When Horatio started speaking, he was purposely avoiding looking over at Rick. "I have thought about it but, because of one little problem, I've never followed through on it."

"Why not?"

As he watched, Horatio's blush deepened. "I… well… It's just that I… don't like needles very much." The last part was barely over a whisper so Rick wasn't sure if he had indeed heard him correctly.

"Horatio, are you trying to tell me that you are afraid of needles?"

"Afraid is such a strong word. It's more of a strong dislike of them."

"Is there a specific reason for this intense dislike of them?"

"No, I've always disliked needles and the pain they cause."

"So basically, you have a fear of needles."

"I'm not afraid, I just don't like them." Horatio grumbled, wanting to fold his arms across his chest however, since he was driving, that was not an option.

Rick smirked. "Sure."

"Well, it's true."

"Horatio, lots of people are afraid of needles. It's not a big deal. Don't worry; it can be our little secret. If that is what is bothering you, though, I might be able to help you out…"

"How?"

"If you are serious about getting a tattoo, I can get it for you while we've switched places. That way, you can have the tattoo and not have to encounter the dreaded needle." Rick said with a smirk.

Horatio fought back the urge to groan. He refused to bicker anymore and instead barely managed to suppress a shudder at the mere thought of needles. "Are you positive that you don't mind doing this?"

Rick smiled as he turned and met Horatio's eyes briefly, before the other man had to turn his attention back to the road. "Absolutely."

"You honestly don't mind?"

"Horatio, for you, I'm positive. I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to do it. Now, what were you thinking about getting and where?"

Horatio's blush which had just about disappeared returned full force and Rick had to admit it didn't look too bad on 'his' face. "Well, you were actually correct when you told Mac that wolves were 'my' favorite animal. I wouldn't mind having a tattoo of a wolf but nothing near as intricate as what you have. Maybe one that is a simple outline of a wolf running."

"Horatio, I like that idea very much. Just one little thing."

"What is that Rick?"

"You still haven't told me where you wanted it."

If it wouldn't have caused an accident, Horatio would have been content to stare at the floorboard. Instead, he stared straight ahead at the road as his blush deepened. "Kind of where you have yours."

"The right hip?"

"Actually I was thinking about the left hip instead."

"Would that be because you want to partly disguise the scars?" Rick asked his voice low because he knew that this was a touchy subject.

"Yeah," Horatio answered shyly. "In all honestly, I'm surprised that you didn't scream out loud the first time that you spotted them."

Rick reached over and squeezed the other man's hand and he didn't let go. As much as he wanted to hug him, it wasn't a good idea. "Horatio, I won't lie and say that it didn't catch me by surprise. But, I didn't scream."

"No," Horatio whispered. "No, you didn't."

Rick smiled sadly. "I honestly wish that you never had to go through that."

"It helped to make me who I am. If I can keep anyone else from going through the same thing then it was worth it."

"Horatio?"

"Yes, Rick?"

"Do you think that you can handle watching me get the tattoo if the needles aren't technically touching you? Because, if you think you can handle it, I wouldn't mind you watching me getting the tattoo?

Horatio smiled, thankful for the subject change. "Maybe."

Rick gave Horatio's hand another squeeze glad that he still had a hold of it. "When I say you won't feel a thing, I actually mean it. Not like when those nasty doctors do."

Horatio couldn't help it, but he chuckled at Rick's comment. "You're not going to let me live that down are you?"

"Nope."

Then, smiling sadly he glanced over at Rick. "But, you will be able to feel it."

Rick sighed. "Horatio, your need to protect others from getting hurt is admirable. But, I know what to expect and they won't hurt me. But if you're sure…"

"I didn't say that I didn't want to come."

"Only if you want to. I would like having you there but I won't force you if it will make you uncomfortable."

"I do want to."

"Then I think I have an idea of how you can avoid being squeamish."

"And just what exactly is this idea."

"Just close your eyes and imagine."

"Imagine what?"

Rick leaned over and whispered what he wanted to do once they changed back. Horatio's eyebrows skyrocketed as the blush deepened.

"That… that might work."

"It might be a new way for getting you to deal with getting those necessary shots as well."

"Keep that up and I'll end up crashing the Hummer and you'll have to live with the fact that you crashed a Hummer the one time 'I' let you drive."

"Keep what up?" Rick asked trying his best to look innocent.

"Rick, you're anything but innocent."

Rick smirked. "Rick who?" He asked, looking around. "I'm Horatio. You must me talking about yourself?"

"Just keep it up, Rick…" Horatio growled. The only thing that was keeping him from smacking him on the back of his head was the fact that Rick still had a hold of his hand.

Rick cleared his throat. "Okay, okay I'll stop. But you have to admit that it was funny…" Horatio just stared at him. "Maybe not…"

Horatio just shook his head. "We may have to try and work on that sense of humor of yours"

"So…" Rick began in an effort to steer the conversation away from him.

"So what?"

"So, would you be opposed to going and getting the tattoo tonight? While I am happy with the one tattoo I have, I tend to keep tabs on the various places around here. And, I think I know the perfect place. Besides, I don't know exactly how long we're going to be like this."

Horatio smiled. "I really would like that…"

"But?"

"But let's see how the case goes first."


	27. Chapter 27

Rick sighed. "I can understand that. Hopefully this lead will pan out." He glanced down at his watch. "Are we there yet?"

Horatio jerked his head in Rick's direction. "What did you just say?"

"I said…"

"I know what you said, Rick."

"Then why did you ask?"

"Cause you sounded just like a little kid on a long car trip when you said that and it sounded weird when it was my voice."

"Gee, thanks," Rick replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"In answer to your question, we're almost there…" Horatio said, ignoring Rick's sarcasm.

"What is it?" the redhead asked, picking up that Horatio was slightly distracted.

"This drive seemed to take less time than it normally does."

"Well, you know what they say, time flies when you're having fun."

"You know I've never actually known that to happen until now."

"To tell you the truth, neither have I." Rick cleared his throat before grinning mischievously at Horatio.

"You make me nervous when you smile that way Rick."

"But it's fun. And I have an idea."

"Do I even want to know?" Horatio asked.

Rick didn't answer. He simply glanced over at Horatio, and raised an eyebrow.

Horatio bit his lip, but then his natural curiosity won out. "The dangers of being a CSI," he muttered to himself. "Fine, you win. What is it?"

"Well, you know how we've picked up each other's mannerisms because we had to in order to keep anyone from getting suspicious?"

Horatio tried to maintain a straight face but he could feel his lips twitching up at the corners. He had a feeling that he knew where this was going. "Yes, Rick, I know."

"Well, I was thinking that after we change back on a slow day, we could pull those tricks out and just see how the team reacts. What do you say? Sound like fun?"

Horatio threw his head back and laughed. "I think that does. Calleigh would probably just stare at us and shake her head."

"Wolfe would probably hang around and watch us a while trying to figure just what is going on."

"I have to agree with you on that one."

"Eric is going to be the difficult one."

"When is he not?"

"I can see him either calling us out, which if he does that we can pretend not to know what he was talking about, or he would get confused and walk away for the time being."

Rick shrugged and Horatio noticed his shift in mood and gave the other man's hand a squeeze. When he looked over, Horatio smiled at him.

"Horatio, thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Rick smirked. "Are we there yet?"

"Rick."

"Yes, Horatio?"

"That's not going to get us there any faster."

"So?"

"So, please stop asking that."

Horatio glanced over and saw that Rick had a huge grin plastered on his face which caused him to swallow deeply. "That's not a good luck on you."

Rick opened his mouth to ask him something but Horatio cut him off. "If you're going to ask 'are we there yet' save your breath. We aren't. We have about five more minutes till we get there."

Horatio rolled his eyes as Rick pouted. "What is it?"

"I wasn't going to ask you that."

He snorted in disbelief. "Suuuure you weren't. Fine, if you weren't going to ask that what were you planning on asking?"

"I was going to ask how much longer but you've already answered that."

Horatio rolled his eyes, before he chuckled softly.

"What?"

"Just wishing that I had a tape recorder going. Then I could have proved to you what a kid you sounded like."

"And you would have played it for the team as well."

"I would have done no such thing, Rick." Horatio said, trying to pull off an innocent look.

Rick folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head towards Horatio. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that? If I didn't exactly sound like you right now, you know you would have."

Horatio opened and closed his mouth. Then, he sighed. "You have a point there."

"I thought so. Old habits can be hard to break, though."

"Sorry."

"You are trying though."

Horatio nodded his head but said nothing as he made a right turn. "Here we are and here comes Alexx." He said when he noticed the white medical examiner's van pulling up alongside the Hummer.

"Did we need to go on and call her before we even know if Ms. Johnson is here Horatio?" Rick whispered to the other man as they watched the tech with the underground scanner slowly walk up and down along the sides of the road.

"Would you have rather found something then waited for her to make the drive out here."

"Well, no, but what if it's a dead end?"

"Sometimes," Horatio began as he turned to look at Rick. "Sometimes you just have to take that chance."

Rick glanced over at Horatio when he quit talking and shot him a puzzled look until he spotted Alexx walking over. "Alexx," he said, greeting her with a nod of his head.

"Horatio?" she asked sending him a questioning look when both man cocked their heads towards her in response. However, before Rick had a chance to answer his cell phone went off.

Alexx and Horatio watched as Rick walked off to give some semblance of privacy as he took the call. _Okay, Rick, you can do this_. He thought to himself.

Once Rick was out of earshot, Alexx folded her arms across her chest and turned her glare on Horatio. "What is going on here, Rick?"

"What do you mean?"

"What is going on? Are you planning something Rick?"

"No, I'm not. Why are you asking me that?"

Alexx just raised an eyebrow at that question. "When are you _not_ planning something?"

Horatio flinched. "Now that's not really fair is it?" he snapped before wincing as soon as the words left his mouth. Sure enough, she folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. _That was not smart, Horatio_.

"Sorry Al… Mrs. Woods. It's just that I've been trying to help and yet everyone just seems to assume that I'm only around to cause trouble."

Alexx unfolded her arms and gave Horatio a half-smile. "Baby, I can't imagine why. And, it is Dr. Woods by the way."

Horatio winced. "Dr. Woods, I'm sorry about that."

"Now, am I wrong, Sergeant?" she asked, as Rick finished his call and started to walk back over. When he noticed that Alexx was questioning him, he paused, wanting to observe how Horatio handled things.

"Dr. Woods, I realize that in the past I have made some bad choices. However, now, I am aware of how I acted and I'm trying hard to do better. Now some people are giving me the chance and I'm grateful to them, but there are others who are constantly trying to make things difficult. For that, I only have myself to blame."

Rick eased up silently behind Alexx as he continued to observe the interactions between the two. Horatio knew that she would be more suspicious if he refused to look her in the eyes so he made and kept eye contact. As Rick watched, he saw H meeting Alexx Wood's gaze. _Brave_, he thought to himself.

Alexx frowned when she saw that Horatio was being completely honest with her. "Oh, you poor baby. I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean too. Has someone been pushing you around?"

Horatio sighed, and looked down at the ground. "Well… you could say that. I don't want to name names though."

"You don't have to," Alexx replied, shaking her head. "I already know who it is."

Horatio glanced up, face bearing an amused smile. "Mother hen?"

Alexx smiled, patting him on his cheek. "Guilty as charged."

Horatio looked up and saw that Rick was standing behind Alexx with an amused smile on his face and that gave him an idea. "You know, Dr. Woods, I think that you'd get along well with Rose."

"Who is this Rose?"

Horatio smiled as Rick's eyes widened and a panicked expression crossed his face. "Rose McCall, my secretary. She's been like a second mother to me. I think the two of you would get along great.

Alexx gave a small smile as she gave Horatio a pat on his shoulder. "Who knows, maybe our paths will cross one of these days."

Horatio glanced down at his shoes. "Maybe," he whispered softly.

Rick decided to make his presence known at that moment. "Hey Alexx, what do you think of the new Rick?"

Alexx frowned at that before she turned and looked Horatio straight in the eyes. "'New' Rick? Now, Mister, can you please explain to me just what exactly was wrong with the old Rick?"

Horatio maintained the eye contact. "The old Rick was an ass. Then, things changed and something happened to make him realize it and now he's trying his best to prove that he's a better person than what everyone thinks he is."

He smiled weakly at Alexx, who turned back to watching the cadet cover the ground with the underground scanner. "Well, I'm sure that he wasn't all bad."

Rick took that as his cue to speak up. "That's what I've been trying to tell him, but certain people keep emphasizing that fact. Especially after they realized that I had offered him a place on the team." At that, Horatio shot Rick a questioning look.

"Really? Now that's interesting," she replied, turning back to face Horatio and holding out her hand. "Welcome aboard."

"But I'm not on the team yet."

Alexx just shrugged. "If Horatio asked you, then you are."

Horatio gave her a small smile as he took her hand and shook it. "Thanks."

"We've got something!" One of the cadets called out.

"Sounds like it's time for me to get to work." Alexx said, with a smile at Horatio and Rick.

Once she was out of earshot, Horatio glanced over at Rick. "You could have spoken up sooner."

"But you were doing so well on your own. That is, until you mentioned Rose."

"What was wrong with my mentioning Rose?"

"You do realize how Alexx is. Rose is a lot like her. If you get her to be friends with Rose, then we have that times two. Of course," he said with a smile, "I don't mind if you don't. Though I'd love to see the team's reactions when they suddenly gain a second mother hen."

"I'm sure that she will easily work her way into their hearts. I know she did mine." Rick grinned at that, but Horatio wasn't done speaking. "What was that call about?"

"It was the Chief of Police checking in for an update. I had hoped that he had forgotten about me."

Horatio chuckled at that. "Not likely. Besides, just curious but why did you mention to Alexx about the job offer I made?

"Because, I figured that if she was the mother hen that you said she was, she'd do nothing but support you."

"You are definitely a natural. That was a good idea and I'm sure you were pleasantly surprised. Now, why don't we go see what is going on over there?"

"That sounds like a good plan."

Horatio nodded. "After you, since technically, you are the boss."

Rick smiled at that and walked over with Horatio following behind him. Both men came to a stop behind Alexx. "What do we have, Alexx?"

"Well, the clothes and jewelry are a match to what Lydia Johnson was last reported wearing, but I would like to check her dental records before I say for certain."

Rick turned to look over at Horatio and Alexx followed his lead. It was a struggle for Horatio to maintain a straight face, but he succeeded. "Did you check her pockets?"

Alexx glanced over at Rick and smiled before she began to check the victim's pockets. "Hmm…" she said, as she pulled a business card out of the front pocket.

"Well?"

"It's a business card, Horatio."

The redhead noticed that Horatio was frowning. "What is it, Rick?"

"I've seen that card before."

"Really?" Alexx asked him.

"Yeah," Horatio replied, with a nod of his head. "It's the husband's. He tried to give me one when I brought Adam back from giving him a tour of the labs."

"Hmm…" Alexx said, looking at the card she held in her hands.

Rick pulled out his phone and punched in Calleigh's number.

"Duquesne."

"Calleigh?"

"Horatio? What's going on? Did you find Lydia Johnson?"

"We think so. Alexx wants to check dental records before she confirms it."

"That makes sense. They've already waited a year. Better to wait a little longer and confirm than tell them that we've found her and then have dental records say that it's someone else."

"Those are exactly my thoughts. Calleigh, I want you to call Mr. Johnson and ask him to come in again."

"Sure thing. What did you find?"

"His business card on the body that we found."

"Okay, I'll go and give him a call."

"Thanks, Calleigh." With that, Rick ended the call.

"I'm going to go and get the kit out of the Hummer so that we can preserve that," Horatio said excusing himself as Alexx and Rick watched him walk off.

"So, what do you think, Alexx?"

She smiled and gave Rick a pat on his arm. "I think that you've made a wise decision."

"If only everyone else would see that," he answered with a sigh.

"Don't worry, Baby. I'm sure that they will come around and don't you worry about Eric."

"How did you -"

"I know everything, Horatio."

"I'm beginning to see that," Rick said with a smile as he watched Horatio walk back over. When he got back they both gloved up and Alexx handed over the card.

"I'm going to go and make a call. That way, by the time we get back to the crime lab the dental records should be faxed over and it won't take as long to make a positive ID."

"Okay, Dr. Woods."

Alexx smiled and walked over to place her hand on Horatio's shoulder. "Baby, call me Alexx. Everyone else does."

"Thanks, Alexx."

"Don't mention it. Don't you worry about Eric either."

Horatio shot a questioning look over at Rick.

"I didn't say anything, she already knew."

"Of course I did, now if you two would excuse me?"

"Sure thing, Alexx." Horatio said, stepping back allowing her to walk past.

"So what's the plan?" Rick asked him in a low voice once she was out of earshot.

After slipping the card into the plastic evidence bag, Horatio looked at his watch. "By the time we get back it will probably be close to the end of our shifts. Alexx will most likely confirm with the dental records, since they should be there by the time we get back. She will probably wait till morning to do the actual autopsy rather than rush and risk making a mistake. Then, we talk to the husband and by then it should be the end of our shift."

"Okay," Alexx said as she walked back over. "The dental records are being faxed over to the crime lab as we speak. Can I get you two gentlemen to help me load her into the van please?"

"Okay, Alexx," they both said at the same time causing her to chuckle.

After they helped her load the body into the van, Rick walked over to the Hummer and climbed inside the driver's seat. Horatio just sighed, staring longingly for a moment before walking around and hopping into the passenger seat.

"What?"

"It's nothing, really. I just miss driving the Hummer."

Rick chuckled at that, causing Horatio to tilt his head as he looked over at him. "What is it that you find amusing?"

"Of all the things on the job that you could be missing, you're complaining about not being able to drive the Hummer."

"I haven't heard you mention anything that you missed. There has to be something."


	28. Chapter 28

Rick lowered his eyes as he tried to put the key in the ignition. He used that time to formulate his answer. "Well…"

"Well what?"

"I do miss Rose. It's sweet that you actually care enough to ask."

Horatio to raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that I've ever been described as sweet. Also that's something that I never expected to hear coming from you."

"Well, that's a crying shame because you are," Rick replied as he turned the key, starting the vehicle. Out of the corner of his eye, Rick saw Horatio duck his head in an attempt to hide the blush that was forming. "You're cute when you blush."

"I most certainly am not."

"Yes, you are," Rick said, glancing over at Horatio. He smiled when Horatio raised his head to look at him.

"I think what you meant to say is that YOU are cute when I blush because you may have forgotten -"

"I didn't forget." Horatio just tilted his head to look at Rick.

Rick glanced over at Horatio. "Don't give me that look. Okay, fine. I will rephrase that. You are cute when you try to hide the fact that you're blushing."

"I must be losing my edge. First I'm sweet and now cute." Horatio grumbled good-naturedly.

"What edge?" Rick asked, chuckling.

"Hey!"

Rick just glanced over at Horatio, smiling innocently. "What?"

"Don't even start with that again. Haven't I already told you that the look didn't work with you?"

"Why do you say that? Is it because I'm in the body of someone that is so 'cutting edge'?"

"No. Because I've never been called innocent and as far as I can tell neither have you for that matter."

"So, are you really that edgy?"

Horatio rolled his eyes as he tried to ignore Rick, but the redhead wasn't going to let it drop.

"So I'm just curious about what your personal ads say. I'm guessing it's something like 'Five foot eleven redhead male seeks mate. Hard hitting cop, born and bred in NYC, has definite edge. Good with kids.'"

Horatio ducked his head as the blush deepened to rival the red of what used to be his hair. "I've never put a personal ad out. Too many potential weirdoes out there."

"Do it. I'd like to see just who would respond."

"What about us?"

"There will still be an 'us'. I'm just curious to see who would respond."

"It'd be my luck that someone I had put away and is out on parole would answer it."

"That would be interesting."

"Speak for yourself." Horatio said with a smile as he shook his head as the faces of convicts that might respond raced through his mind.

"Also, I would _love_ to see Yelina's face when she finds that you put out a personal ad."

Horatio's eyes widened. "She'd probably respond herself. After all, who else could that description be?"

"Why, it could be one of the other Irish New York cops who settled in Miami."

Horatio let go of Rick's hand, arched an eyebrow, and folded his arms across his chest. "Rick."

"You burn too easily. How on earth did you not burst into flames the second you got down here?"

Horatio jerked his head around to look at Rick. "Where did that come from?"

"It came from you being from a ginger."

Horatio pulled the Hummer off to the side of the road, before turning to face Rick. He didn't say anything at first. He hadn't had that term used to describe him in a long time and the last time he had personally heard it he was in school. "Don't call me that."

"Why?"

The brunette didn't answer him right away.

"Horatio?"

He shook his head. "Because it doesn't describe me anymore, that's you. Anyways back to the previous topic, just don't do it. I have enough excitement in my life without inviting some deranged criminal to come poking around…"

"Alright, Horatio, I won't," Rick replied with a chuckle at Horatio who was breathing a sigh of relief. The sigh caused Rick to smile.

"Rick?"

"What is it Horatio?"

"What will we do if a week goes by and we still haven't changed back?"

"Well… I can see a couple of options when it comes to that."

"And those would be?"

"We could either keep pretending to be the other as we have been doing. Or…"

"Or what?"

"Or we could tell everyone and hope that they don't ship us off to the nearest loony bin."

"No, no, and just to be on the safe side _no _to that last idea."

"I wasn't going to. But, just out of curiosity, why not?"

"Rick, I cannot believe you just asked me that question."

"It just slipped out. Just answer the question. You and I both know that no one would have believed us."

"Fine, I will. First of all, neither of us is insane. Second, they'd take away both of our badges faster than you could say blink. The few people who care about us would disown us, and overall it is a really bad idea."

"Okay, fine, you made your point. So…"

"So what?"

"So, when are you going to teach me that pinning technique?

"Which one?"

"The one you used on me in the sparring match and on Delko in the parking garage."

"Why do you want to know that one, Rick?"

"Well, isn't it obvious?"

"Isn't what obvious?"

"It's kind of expected of me to know it by now."

Horatio's eyebrows skyrocketed again. "Explain to me how that is so when you're still me?"

"What happens if we change back and some situation arises that I need to know it and I'm not able to perform it?"

"Just humor me and name _one_ instance where that might happen."

"What if Calleigh makes us spar again."

"You don't really think that she would do that, do you?" he asked, jerking his head to stare at Rick, who just raised an eyebrow.

"I can't imagine her not doing it."

Horatio sighed, as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You might be right about that. Especially, if we end up getting into an argument and we're both too stubborn to listen to reason sometimes."

That earned him a chuckle. "I'm glad you finally admitted it."

"Just what did I admit too?"

"You admitted to being stubborn as well."

Horatio sighed. "Of course you caught that." Then he gave the other man a grin to let him know that he was kidding.

"Well it's nice that finally some people realize that I'm not the only one.

"I've realized it for some time."

"Then how come you didn't say something sooner?"

"You and I weren't getting along then so what was the point in saying it?"

"Point made." Rick said, glancing over briefly to look at Horatio. "Though I'm glad we're getting along now."

"Me too, Rick. Me too."

Rick reached over and took Horatio's hand in his and Horatio gave it a gentle squeeze. Rick gave him a small smile before he reluctantly returned his attention back to the road before him.

"Horatio?"

"Yes, Rick?"

"How long do you think it will be before we change back?"

"Honestly, Rick, I don't know. If someone had come to me and told me something like this could happen, I'd have assumed that they were insane."

"You aren't the only one who would have been thinking along those same lines. But, you evaded my question."

"Sorry. Well, I'm hoping it won't be too much longer. As long as we don't change back in the middle of you getting the tattoo, I'm happy." Horatio shuddered at that thought. "If I haven't said it before, I do appreciate that you'd do something like that for me."

"Really, it's not a big deal."

"Yes, it is."

"So, let's agree to disagree on the subject."

"No."

"You're not going to let this drop, or give in, are you?" Rick asked with a chuckle.

"Nope."

"Fine, I'll just redirect the conversation back to where it was before we got sidetracked."

"We?" Horatio questioned.

"Well, it was you but I'm trying to be nice here, old man."

"You're the old man now, Rick."

"You're enjoying this simple fact a little too much."

"Horatio."

"Fine. Where were we?"

"Well, I was about to ask you what would happen with… well, with _us _if we didn't change back soon. I know that we agreed to wait until we changed back to start something… What happens if we don't?"

Horatio cleared his throat. "Well, Rick, we learn to adjust. And, as far as us goes, despite how weird it will be if that's what you want then I'm willing to try."

"Even if it will be weird?"

"If that's what you want. It'll be weird, but I think weird is pretty much a given in our line of work anyways…" Horatio answered honestly, reaching over to grab Rick's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I guess a little more waiting won't hurt but I'm flattered that if I wanted it, you're be willing to ignore the weirdness…" Rick said with a smile, blushing slightly.

"Rick, if…"

"What is it Horatio?"

"If things go well… You know what, never mind. It's probably not a good idea anyway…"

"Horatio…"

"It was nothing. Just an idea that I had. Probably stupid…"

"Horatio…"

"You really want to know?"

"Do you really have to ask that question?"

"Fine, you win. I was thinking that when we get back to the lab, you could have Eric run that business card for prints. The computer will probably take a while to find a match and after we check in with Alexx about whether or not or victim is indeed Lydia Johnson…" Horatio let his voice drift off when he realized that he was rambling.

"You do realize that you're rambling don't you?

"Yes, I do."

Rick just grinned, briefly taking his eyes off the road to glance at Horatio before returning his gaze back to the road. "And then what Horatio?"

"Then, we have a talk with the husband and see what he has to say about his business card being in her pocket. Alexx is probably going to wait until morning to do the autopsy because she won't' be tired and will have more time to do her job thoroughly."

"And…"

"Well, I was just wondering if you might want to… Well, that is to say…"

"Just spit it out, Horatio."

"Rick, I'm trying! Don't rush me."

"At the rate you're going, I'm going to be gray by the time you get to the point."

"Not funny. Besides, redheads don't go gray. Our hair just takes on a sandy coloration."

"Don't try to change the subject."

"You caught that didn't you?"

"Of course, I did. Now, stop stalling and tell me what you have been trying to ask me."

Horatio took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. When he finally spoke, his words tumbled out in a rush. "Would you be interested in going to get that tattoo after we clock out?

"Horatio, just calm down. You're making me nervous by your being nervous."

"Well?"

"Of course I will." When Horatio sighed in relief at that, Rick smirked. "Now can you please tell me what _possible_ reason would it be for me to say 'no' to that?"

"The fact that _needles_ are involved…"

"You do realize that we have already been over this?"

Horatio looked down without saying anything. Rick just squeezed his hand.

"As I've already told you, needles bother a lot of people. It isn't just you."

"Still…"

"Still what?"

"Still, the sooner the better. I'm just a bit antsy that we'll change back before it's all over and if that happens I can't guarantee how I'll react…"

"Horatio, I wouldn't expect you to go in and get a tattoo when we change back."

"That's not what I'm worried about?"

"Then what is it?"

"It's the possibility of us changing back while you are _getting_ the tattoo."

"In the _slimmest_ change of that happening, that is why you need to be there."

"Why do you say that?"

"That way I can explain to the artist that you're afraid of needles and have been trying to deal with it because you wanted a tattoo for so long, but just couldn't hold out."

"Really?"

"Yes really. Though I am curious to see how you react when Alexx finds out that you've gotten a tattoo. She's scary. I was honestly surprised that she knew it was Eric who was causing the trouble."

"It's Alexx. With her, you pretty much learn to expect it." Horatio said with a smile.

"What are you grinning about?"

"The fact that Alexx has basically adopted you now. Welcome to the family."

"She's lucky Rose is a sharing person."

"I wonder just how long it will be before the two of them end up meeting and joining forces."

Rick smiled and shook his head. "Oh God. Remind me to call in sick that day."

"Only if you're still in IAB when that happens. Can't have you doing that when you're on my team. If I have to deal with it so do you."

"That's not fair.

"Yes it is." Horatio retorted before he suddenly threw his head back and started laughing.

"You're laughing… You, Horatio Caine, are actually laughing."

"I just had this image of Eric trying to start something and not knowing that Alexx has adopted you and if Rose was around..."

Rick chuckled at the image that passed through his mind at that. "That's not what I meant... It's just that I've rarely seen you laugh."

"I think you know the reason why. You're the only person so far to figure that out here in Miami. Not even Alexx knows that I snort when I laugh."

"Why don't you though? I'm sure you're past the point of worrying what anyone thinks about you."

"Just old habits, I guess. It's been nice not having to reign in my emotions as much…"

"You know that can't be very healthy. I'm surprised you don't already have an ulcer."

"What are you, my doctor?"

"No. I'm simply pointing out a fact." Rick couldn't help but smirk when Horatio grumbled at that. "Well, it's the truth so stop your grumbling."

Horatio gave Rick a smirk and grumbled louder just to spite. Ignoring the glare that he received, Horatio decided to change the subject. "So, Rick, does your phone have internet capabilities?"

"Why do you insist on changing the subject?"

"Because there was nothing left to say about the old conversation. Now, please answer the question, Rick."

"Yeah, it does. But you might want to check to see how many bars we have first."

Horatio nodded as he pulled the phone out of his pocket and opened it up. "It has two."

"That's good, but three is the best. I'd flip it and use the keyboard if I were you." He winced when he realized what he had said. "No pun intended."

Horatio smirked at that. "Okay. While you're driving back, I'm going to use the remaining time to see if I can find a design that I like so that we don't have to explain why I'm picking out a tattoo for you."

Rick chuckled at that. "You're kind of looking forward to this, aren't you?"

Horatio ducked his head. "I guess I am." He admitted while he opened up the phone and brought up the Google search engine. When he was prompted, he typed in 'Wolf Tattoos'.

Rick gave him a small smile. "Just don't pick anything too elaborate. Simple black outlines look best on pale skin like yours."

"Okay, thanks for letting me know."

"It's not a problem," Rick replied before switching on the radio. He grinned, chuckling softly when he recognized the song that had just started playing on the radio.


	29. Chapter 29

Rick just turned the radio up louder so that Horatio could hear the lyrics to Rascal Flatts' '_I Melt'_.

Horatio arched an eyebrow as he turned the radio back down.

"What?"

"It was a little loud." Horatio answered as he leaned back against the seat.

"You asked what. It's the first line of the chorus."

'I melt every time you look at me that way.'

The brunette just shook his head before returning his attention back to the phone. It was quiet for the most of the drive except for the radio as Horatio was busy looking and Rick was concentrating on driving.

When they were about ten minutes from the crime lab Rick caught movement out of the corner of his eye as Horatio straightened up in his seat. "Did you find something that you liked?"

"Yeah, actually, I did."

"Can I see it?"

"Sure." Horatio held out the phone for Rick to take and waited.

"That is a nice one."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I do."

"So… we still on for tonight?"

"Of course, Horatio. It's a date." Rick smiled nervously when he realized what he had just said and waited for Horatio's reaction.

As he watched, Horatio ducked his head in an attempt to hide the blush that Rick could see forming. Rick glanced up in the rearview mirror and noticed that he was blushing as well. Reaching over to give Horatio's hand a squeeze, he spoke softly. "You are cute when you blush and I happen to like it."

"Cute?" Horatio asked.

Rick's blush darkened as he returned his attention back to the road. "Yeah, it's cute."

"Nobody has ever called me cute before."

"Well, you are." Rick sighed softly, as he pulled into the parking garage. "And we're here, way too soon if you ask me." He killed the engine but made no move to get out of the vehicle.

"Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm… I'm fine. Why are you asking me that question?"

Horatio raised an eyebrow but didn't call Rick on it. Instead, he chose to answer his question. "Because I'm not really looking forward to going in there and was wondering if you felt the same."

Rick gave a nod of his head. "Yeah, I'm not really looking forward to dealing with Eric and that's even with him thinking I'm you. How long do you think he's going to keep acting this way?"

Horatio shrugged. "I don't know. You've known this side of him longer than I have."

"Let's just go in and get it over with," Rick said, giving Horatio's hand one last squeeze before he unbuckled himself and got out of the Hummer. He waited for Horatio to get out and close the door before he locked the vehicle and activated the alarm system.

The two of them walked into the lobby side by side and stopped when they saw Eric pacing back and forth across the lobby. When he spotted them, he stopped his pacing and stormed over. "What took you so long?"

"We didn't take that long, Eric."

"Then how come Alexx made it back before the two of you did?"

"Maybe because she left before we did."

Eric spun around and glared at Horatio. "I wasn't talking to you, Stetler."

"Eric, I need you to do something for me."

"What is it, H?"

Rick held out the bagged business card for Eric to take. "I need you to check this for prints. The husband's business card was found on the body we found."

"What was she doing with her husband's business card?"

Horatio opened his mouth to answer but realized it was probably best if he kept his mouth shut quickly closed it. Rick just sighed. "That's what I'm going to try and find out, Eric."

Eric just looked over at Horatio. "Just what was it that you were you going to say, Stetler?" Horatio refused to rise to the bait and met Eric's gaze instead. That seemed to irritate the younger man more so that it would have if he had responded.

"Eric?"

"Yes, H?"

"The card?"

"Right, I'll get right on that." Eric said before giving Horatio one last glare and walking off towards the elevator.

"What is he thinking?" Rick whispered.

"Apparently, he isn't." Horatio took a couple of steps towards the stairwell. "Do you feel up to walking or would you rather take the elevators?"

"I don't mind walking with you."

"Good," he replied, giving Rick a small smile that disappeared almost as soon as it had formed.

"I saw that."

"Good, because you were supposed to."

Rick waited until they had stepped through the stairwell doors before he smiled back. "Next stop is the morgue I take it. I mean if that is okay with you?"

"You need to be more confident."

"If that's what you want."

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Stop being so difficult," Horatio retorted, with a smirk as he hesitantly took a step closer to the redhead.

"But where's the fun in that?"

Horatio smirked. "Later, there will be plenty of time for fun." Horatio chuckled as Rick cleared his throat. He stopped at the stairs leading down towards the morgue and waited for Rick. "Shall we?"

"Okay," Rick agreed coming to a stop beside him, as he waited for the other man to lead the way. "Oh, that's right, I'm you." Horatio chuckled at that. "Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Don't give me that. I know full well that you know what I'm talking about."

"No, Rick, I don't," Horatio replied, giving Rick his best 'I'm innocent' look.

"That look definitely doesn't work on 'me'."

"It just needs a bit of practice, don't you think?"

"Just when do you plan on practicing it? If you haven't noticed, we're kind of busy right now."

"I noticed, and all the time."

"All the time when people are around, or all the time when it's just the two of us?"

"Hmmm…" Horatio hummed, tapping his chin with his finger. "I think it will be better off as a surprise for you."

"Why does that worry me?"

"I don't know, Rick. Why would it?"

Rick made the mistake of looking over at Horatio who was giving him the innocent look again. He tried to hold in the laughter but it was a battle he was losing. When Rick couldn't contain it anymore, he burst out laughing before groaning when he ended up snorting.

Horatio just smirked and waited until Rick had stopped laughing. "Are you done?"

"If you keep doing that then I promise you I will start laughing in front of your team."

"You wouldn't dare…"

"Try me," Rick dared, raising an eyebrow at Horatio and folding his arms across his chest. Horatio just blinked up at Rick. "I see how it's going to be," Rick replied with a chuckle. "Come on, time's a-wasting."

"'Time's a-wasting'?" Horatio said with a smirk. "Really, Rick."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

The brunette didn't answer as he followed Rick down the remaining stairs, continuing to smirk. Rick glanced over at him, and shook his head, before pushing the doors open. "Alexx?" Rick called out.

"I'm over here, boys," she called from deep within the morgue.

"Do we have a match on her yet?"

"Horatio, I'm pretty sure that it's her but I want to run another test in order to be absolutely certain. Especially, when we're dealing with a case this cold."

"Good idea."

"Rick, it's sweet to see that you're shadowing Horatio," Alexx said, turning to face Horatio. "I'll admit that I was a bit surprised, but it appears that you are genuinely interested."

"Sweet?" Horatio asked. He could see Rick struggling to maintain a neutral expression.

"Yes, you look so interested in what's going on. Rick, I'll also say this. You've also surprised me with your ability to tolerate the stench down here."

Horatio glanced down at his shoes, fighting the urge to duck his head. "I… well… I have a strong stomach."

"That's a good thing in this line of work, sweetie."

Horatio fought the urge to sigh in relief. He knew that if he did that, she would know something was up. Instead, he walked over to where Rick was standing beside the body.

"How many more tests were you planning on running, Alexx?

"Pretty much only one test. I've already sent a DNA sample up to Valera. She's running it now."

"What about the dental records?"

"Horatio, they were a match. I'm having the DNA tested just to confirm. I'm not taking any chances.

"That is understandable," Rick agreed.

"You don't want to let Adam down," Horatio spoke up, his voice barely above a whisper.

Alexx smiled sadly before turning to face Rick. "You've got another observant eye here," She told Rick, patting him on the shoulder before turning to face Horatio. "Guilty," she said softly. "Speaking of which, I heard that the two of you got along rather well."

"Actually, we did." Horatio answered, still fighting the urge to duck his head. "He's… he's a good kid."

"That poor baby."

Before anyone could say anything else, Rick's phone began to ring. "Excuse me," he replied stepping away from them. "Caine."

"H, it's Calleigh. Mr. Johnson just arrived. What do you want me to do?"

"Don't mention the body Alexx brought back. I want to be one hundred percent positive before we notify anyone."

"Okay, should I take him down to the interview room or just let him wait for you in the lobby?"

"I would like to wait on questioning him until we hear back from Eric on the prints found on the business card."

"I hear you, Horatio. It's also getting late. How about I tell him that we have a very strong lead and that you wanted to let him know since you promised to keep him informed?"

"That sounds good to me, Calleigh. Also, let him know that we should know more in the morning."

"Okay, H. I'll go do that then. Have a good night."

"Thanks, Calleigh," Rick told her before ending the call.

"What was that about?" Horatio asked.

"That was Calleigh. She was letting me know that Mr. Johnson was here. I told her not to let him know about the body and that we'd have more information in the morning."

"Horatio?"

"What is it Alexx?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I'll do her autopsy first thing in the morning. Hopefully by then, the DNA results should be in and we will know for certain whether it's Lydia Johnson or not."

Rick glanced down at his watch. "Well, it is getting a little on the late side."

"Yes, it is," Horatio replied, nodding his head in agreement.

"Alexx, why don't you go home and get some rest? You look tired."

"Promise me you'll do the same, Horatio."

"I will. See you in the morning and be careful driving home."

"You too," she said, looking up from where she had just slid the victim back into her compartment. "Rick?"

"Yes, Alexx?"

"Good luck."

"Thank you ma'am," Horatio answered, as Rick's southern accent slipped out once more.

Alexx gave them both a small smile as she hung up her lab coat on the hook by the door. Horatio hurried over and held the door open for her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied, holding the door open for Rick as well.

"Thanks."

Both men watched as Alexx headed for the elevator. "Are you two coming?"

"We'll take the stairs, Alexx. Don't worry about us."

Alexx just shook her head as the elevator doors opened and she stepped in. "Now, I don't want either of you to be getting into any sort of mischief." With that, the elevator doors slid closed.

Rick whistled softly. "She is good."

"Yes, she is." Horatio agreed as he walked over to the stairwell door and held it open for Rick.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Both men hurried up the stairs, not saying anything else until they emerged into the lobby. "Have a good night, Liz." He called out to her when she waved at him.

When they came to a stop in front of the Hummer, Horatio looked around to make sure that no one was close enough to overhear their conversation. "So, are we going straight there, or do we need to make a stop somewhere first? We probably need to take both vehicles as well," Horatio said, wincing when he thought about folding himself back into Rick's small car.

"For the sake of appearances, we should take both vehicles and drop one off at my… your place since it's the closest. Then, I'll drive us to the tattoo parlor."

"That works for me."

"Are you going to be okay in my car? I know it got you good the day we first changed. You still have a whopper of a bruise on the side of your face."

"I'll be fine. I haven't hit my head anymore since."

"Well don't just stand there, Horatio, let me see it."

"Rick, it's nothing. I've had worse, in case you've forgotten about my scars," Horatio said, as they paused beside Horatio's hummer, as he lightly touched Rick's hip for a moment before quickly taking a step back.

"I haven't forgotten," Rick said, placing his hands on his hips causing Horatio to shake his head.

"You're definitely getting my mannerisms down."

Rick gave a nod of his head. "Yes, and you're changing the subject why?"

"Maybe because the way I grew up it was better not to draw much attention to injuries."

Rick sighed, resisting the urge to slam his head into the side of the Hummer. Horatio had been right earlier when he had said that they were both stubborn. "Things are different, Horatio. You don't have to hide injuries anymore. It isn't going to cause you to get hurt again."

"I know. It's just that old habits die hard."

"That is true."

"But…"

"Stop stalling, and just let me see it, Horatio.

"Fine," he agreed, turning so that he was facing the elevators letting Rick have a good look at his bruised temple.

Rick tentatively reached out, being careful not to make any sudden movements, and when Horatio didn't flinch away he took that as a good sign.

"Just remember I'm not going to hurt you," he said softly, as he brought his hand closer and carefully brushed the hair from his sideburns back before wincing. "Ouch. When you said you slammed your head into the side of my car you weren't kidding, were you?"

"I haven't looked at it in a few days. Please tell me it's not that bad."

"Well, it's already started to change colors. Why didn't you tell me it was that big of a bruise?"

"I didn't realize it was as big as you say it is."

"I'll give you that one. The sideburns hide a big portion of it but there is still a part of it that is visible…"

Horatio flinched, taking a step backwards. Rick froze and held up his hands. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No. Sorry, it's just don't like having any injuries being visible."

"If you ever need someone to talk to…"

"…I know who I can turn to," he finished up, causing Rick to smile.

"It had to have hurt, though."

"For the first couple of days, it did," Horatio admitted. "But it doesn't bother me anymore."

"I'll admit that we weren't getting along too well when you first told me what happened…"

"But?"

"But let's agree to not keep secrets from each other from now on."

"I can live with that."

Rick had just taken a step closer to Horatio and was pleased to see that he didn't flinch away. When the elevator pinged, he lowered his head and groaned before taking a step backwards. Both men watched as a young patrol officer walked calmly towards his car.

"Should we go or stick around here and run the risk of another run-in with Eric?" he asked, turning back to face Horatio.

"We should probably go," Horatio agreed, but didn't move from his spot in front of Rick.

"Yeah," Rick said, as he leaned back against the Hummer.

"But I'm not ready to go."

"Neither am I."

"So what should we do?"

Rick gritted his teeth in frustration before taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. "I can think of a few things, but none of which are a good idea for our current location," Rick replied, honestly, with a smirk. _Like kiss._

"Rick…"

"Just kidding, Horatio. I'm saving those for when we get back to normal." _Not really, but this isn't the time and the place. Neither of us can afford someone walking in on us making out in the parking garage._

"Whenever that finally happens…"

"Usually I'm the pessimistic one."

"I just…" Horatio sighed before shaking his head. "Never mind."

After glancing around to be sure that they were indeed alone, Rick reached out and placed his hand on Horatio's shoulder. "What is it, Horatio?"

"It's nothing serious, Rick. Just forget that I said anything."

"I can't do that. And besides, Horatio, what happened to no secrets?"

Horatio blushed, causing Rick to chuckle. "Don't say it."

"Say what?"

Horatio placed his hands on his hips and tilted his head at Rick. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"No, I don't. And stop trying to evade answering my question." Rick responded placing his hands on his hips and tilted his in Horatio's direction.

Horatio just stared. "Okay, I'm never going to get used to seeing you do that."

"Horatio…"

"Fine, I'll answer your question. All I was going to say was that I hoped it was soon because I really don't want to wait for much longer."

"I can certainly relate to that. See, it wasn't so bad now was it?"

Horatio ducked his in response. "No, it wasn't."

"You know, I'm surprised that you didn't do that in front of Alexx."

"You're not the only one."

"I bet that you were fighting the whole time not to." Horatio ducked his head once again. "I'll take that as a yes," Rick sighed as the other man smiled in response.

"It is getting late isn't it?"

Rick glanced down at his watch and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we should get going. First stop is your place, followed by the tattoo parlor and maybe dinner after?"

"I like the sound of that."

Rick looked up in surprise. He had been positive that Horatio would politely refuse. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Why are you so surprised?"

"Maybe it's because no one ever really wanted to go out with me."

"Rick…"

"No, Horatio, don't say it. We both know it's the truth. The only reason Yelina went out with me is that she wanted to make you jealous and I just wanted you to know that I wasn't what IA made me out to be. Admittedly, it wasn't the best of plans…"

After a quick glance around the parking garage to verify that they were still alone, Horatio reached over and gave Rick's shoulder a squeeze.

"What was that for?"

"I just felt like it. Besides, it seemed like the right thing to do." Horatio answered, giving Rick a small smile.

Rick blushed, before giving Horatio a smile back. "You think so?"

"I do."

"So," Rick began after clearing his throat.

"So what?"

"So, are we really going to be going this time or are we just going to keep standing here for the rest of the night?"

Horatio reluctantly took a step backwards. "We should go."

"Yeah."

"After all, it's only a brief drive before we'll be seeing each other again." That caused Rick to chuckle, earning him a curious glance from Horatio. "What was that about?

"It was nothing, really. Just a stray thought that passed through my mind."

"I'd like to hear it anyway."

"I was just comparing us to teenagers." The elevator dinged before Horatio could respond.

"Saved by the elevator." Horatio mumbled under his breath as he took a step backward and straightened up to his full height. Once more both men watched the officer walk towards his car.

"You know we really need to start parking further away from that thing."

"Agreed."

"So, Horatio, I guess we need to get going now, don't we?"

Horatio nodded, before looking over at Rick and smirking. "Rick?"

"What is it, Horatio?"

"I bet that I can get there before you do."

"With you leaving after me and not speeding… I don't think so."

"Why not?" Horatio asked, placing his hands on his hips. "It is _my_ house after all."

"Maybe I'm a gambling man all of a sudden."

"I can deal with that. What are the stakes?"

"How about loser pays for dinner?"

"And the winner gets to pick where we eat?"

"Yes, Horatio," Rick answered, wondering just what he had gotten himself into.

Horatio smirked and held out his hand. "You have a deal, or do you want to save face and back out?"

"You're on, 'Rick'," he replied, shaking Horatio's hand.

"Be ready to pay for dinner, 'H'," Horatio retorted before walking over to Rick's car and folding himself inside where he waited for Rick to do the same.

Rick didn't bother to reply. Instead, he hopped into the Hummer and, after starting the vehicle, took off. Horatio chuckled to himself before he pulled out of the parking garage and started to follow Rick.

Rick kept glancing back to see if Horatio was still behind him. For the first half of the drive he was, then after he had to stop at a red light, he glanced behind him and saw that his Ford Focus had disappeared. "Now where did he go?" Rick muttered out loud as he reached over to turn on the radio and groaned as the last line from Dierks Bentley's 'What Was I Thinkin' echoed through the Hummer's stereo system.


	30. Chapter 30

XxXxX

Horatio smirked, as he chuckled to himself. He knew that the best shortcuts to take him to his house were the back roads about halfway into the commute. The brunette just knew that the other man was keeping a watch on him out of the rearview mirror, so Horatio had the added bonus of lulling Rick into a sense of security with him being in the lead.

He slowed down as he neared the red light and turned left onto a small side road. "I can't wait to see the look on his face," Horatio said, as he allowed himself a small smile.

XxXxX

Rick was silent, listening to the radio as he drove the rest of the way to Horatio's place. Even though he knew that the other man was no longer behind him, Rick kept glancing backwards in the rearview mirror until he pulled onto Horatio's street.

His mouth dropped open when he spotted a very familiar blue car pull into the driveway. "I don't believe it. How did he?"

By the time he pulled into the driveway, Horatio was already out of the car and waiting for him. Rick had to chuckle, as much as Horatio was saying he was getting his mannerisms down, Horatio was getting his down as well. He was leaning against the trunk of 'his' car with his legs crossed at the ankles and his arms folded across his chest.

"Is something the matter Rick?" He asked, with a smirk.

"Aren't you the smug one?"

"Who? Me?" Horatio asked, giving Rick his best innocent look.

Rick just smiled and shook his head as he stepped forward, opening the door for Horatio. He heard a loud meow and he dropped down to his knees to pick up Richie before the cat was successful in his escape attempt.

Horatio reached over to pet Richie, and was surprised when he wasn't greeted by a snarl. "He's looking good."

"Yeah, he's a sweet cat, when he's not hungry." Rick shot Horatio a confused look when he began to chuckle in response. "Why are you laughing?"

"You wouldn't have said that about him if you had seen Richie when I first adopted him. The people at the shelter gave him the nickname of Evil Dick and tried their best to persuade me out of adopting him. Even now, I find it hard to describe him as sweet. Richie is a good boy though."

"Most likely, all he needed was somebody to show him what it's like to be loved. Usually, that's how it goes with those 'difficult' cases. And…"

"And what, Rick?"

"And I know that's something that you have given him lots of."

Horatio ducked his head at that as he followed Rick into the house and closed the door behind him with a kick of his foot.

"Horatio, do you want anything to drink?"

"Water will be fine," Horatio said, before noticing that Rick still had Richie in his arms. "Here, let me take him from you." He said, reaching over to pick up the cat who, although meowing loudly, went with relatively little fuss.

When Rick left to get the water, Horatio carried Richie over to the sofa where he sat down. "I missed you."

"It was a long car ride for me as well," Rick remarked as he walked back into the living room.

"I was talking to the cat."

Rick just tilted his head and pouted. "I'm hurt. You didn't miss me?"

Horatio smirked. "Well…."

"Well what?"

"If I didn't think that Eric would kill me, I'd suggest that we carpool."

Rick shrugged. "Why don't you wait until after we change back to suggest it? I doubt he'd contemplate killing you when you're back to being the boss."

It was Horatio's turn to shrug. "At this point, I don't know about that…" He smiled before turning around on the sofa so that he was facing Rick. "Then again, I might suggest it just to see what his reaction would be."

"I want to be around when you do that," Rick mentioned as he handed Horatio the glass of water.

"Thanks," he replied, taking the glass after releasing his hold on Richie. The cat simply jumped up onto the back of the sofa where he perched himself. "Richie is looking good."

"Thanks. Speaking of pets, how many of my fish have died?" Rick asked with a sigh.

"Not a single one. Don't you trust me?"

"Not with my fish," Rick replied, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back against the wall.

"Hey!"

"Don't look so indignant. You didn't even know how to change the water in the tank."

Horatio set the empty glass on the coffee table, before placing his hands on his hips and glared at Rick for a moment before he sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, you do have a point there."

Rick smirked at that before throwing his hand against his chest. "Can you repeat that? Horatio Caine just admitted that I had a point."

Horatio tried to maintain a neutral expression, but Rick's actions proved to be too much. He threw his head back and laughed.

"You're laughing again. I like that," Rick admitted with a smile.

"I like the fact that you don't snort when you laugh… normally."

"You're going to have to laugh more when we change back."

"I seriously doubt that's going to happen." Rick shrugged, but he didn't say anything. Horatio sighed. "You're not happy about that are you?"

"Not happy about what?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Rick."

"Why not?"

"It doesn't work normally but, it really doesn't work when you're me."

"Busted."

"Yes, you are. So why aren't you happy about the fact that I'm probably not going to be laughing as freely as I am now when we change back?"

"Of course I'm not happy about it. It can't be healthy for you to be so serious all of the time."

"Are we back to that again?"

"Yes, we are. I can see we have something else in common as well."

"Just what might that be?"

"Growing up, we didn't have many people to care about us. Yes, we both had a few people that cared. The big difference between us is you found a family that you could trust much sooner than I did. While I only had Rose, you had your team and Alexx."

"And your point is?"

"My point is another thing that we both have in common. We both get defensive when other people actually show that they give a damn."

Horatio stiffened, momentarily before shaking his head chuckling. Looking up, he tilted his head at rick and gave a small smile. "I was right. You _are_ going to make a good addition to the team."

"Will you stop changing the subject?"

"Sorry, I get your point and I know it's something that I… we have to work on." Horatio sighed. "Why do I get the feeling that you are going to be trying your hardest to get me laughing any chance you get?"

"Maybe it was because I already told you that," Rick replied with a smirk. "Don't tell me, you forgot something."

"Rick…" Horatio growled.

"What?" Rick said, giving Horatio his best innocent look which caused him to start laughing again.

"You were serious weren't you?"

"Yes, I was serious. Did I do something to make it appear that I was kidding?" Horatio shrugged but refrained from answering Rick's question, causing Rick to smirk again. "You don't have an answer."

"Drop it, Rick."

"No, because I managed to ask you, Horatio Caine, something that you didn't have the answer to. Allow me to gloat for a moment."

"No. What exactly are you planning on doing to get me to laugh?"

"I'm not telling. I can't have you anticipating my every move. But I will say this. I'll try anything that might have a chance at working."

"Okay, now I'm worried."

"You should be," Rick said with a wicked little grin.

"What are you planning?"

"I was just thinking about how to make it even more interesting."

"What do you have in mind?"

"How about a little bet?"

"What kind of bet?"

"Nothing major, don't you worry about that. I was just going to bet you that I could eventually make you laugh in front of the team."

"What are you betting?"

"If I win, you have to wear my orange checked tie for an entire workday without taking it off. And, just to be nice I'll make sure it's a day where you won't have court."

"And if I win what then?"

"I haven't thought about that. Because I will win."

"Confident aren't you?"

"Well yeah. Do you have any ideas should you win?"

"I can't think of anything," Horatio admitted with a shrug.

"Come on, you must have some sort of idea."

Horatio closed his eyes and thought to himself, chuckling. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and shook his head no. "Sorry, I don't have any ideas."

"Then what was that chuckle about?"

Horatio just gave Rick his best innocent look. "Nothing, you must be hearing things."

"Uh huh, and I'm the Easter Bunny." Rick glanced over at Horatio and saw his smirk. "Oops."

"Bingo."

"NO."

"You were the one that suggested it."

"I did NO such thing!"

"Yes, you did. Why, are you afraid you'll lose?" Horatio asked, as his mind pictured the costume he was going to have Rick wear and gave an evil chuckle.

"No, I'm not. It's just that bunnies are evil."

"You can't be serious."

"As a heart attack but that is beside the point. I'm just going to have to win this by making you laugh in front of the team."

"Wait, is this going to be before or after we change back?"

"After. It won't be near as much fun beforehand."

"Is there some sort of time limit?"

"Why do you ask?"

"It would make sense otherwise we could argue about whether or not I won and then you wouldn't ever get to dress like a bunny."

"You're not going to win but how about a month. And it doesn't start until I'm officially on your team."

"I don't see why not."

Rick sighed and held out his hand. _What am I getting myself into_? He thought to himself.

Horatio reached out and took Rick's hand in his and gave it a firm shake. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Before either man could release their hold on the other's hand, the house phone began to ring.

"Don't answer it."

"Horatio, I wasn't planning on it. Besides, we do need to go soon."

"What's the… Oh. Never mind." Before Rick could respond, the answering machine picked up.

"_This is Horatio. I'm not in right now, so please leave a message after the tone and I'll get back to you as soon as can."_

"_Horatio, its Yelina. I haven't heard back from you so that means you must have been busy. Let me fix you dinner and you can unwind from having to deal with Stetler this morning. I'll swing by the crime lab first just to make sure that you aren't still there. If you've left I'll head on out to your place."_

Rick groaned. "She doesn't give up does she?"

"No, she doesn't."

"Things were better for a little while but it's gotten bad again."

"What happened?

"I'll tell you later."

"Horatio…"

"Rick, I'm not going to avoid telling you this. It's just that it will take a while and right now we don't really have the time unless you want Yelina to show up and find us both here."

"She has a key?"

Horatio ducked his head. "Yes, I gave it to her a few years ago. At first, she used it responsibly, but last year she started showing up unannounced to fix dinner. I didn't think much of it at the time but…"

"But now, you realize that she read more into the situation than what you meant?" Rick asked.

"Only after seeing how she could be when she thought I was you."

"Horatio, I'm not sure how to um… ask you this."

"What is it Rick?"

"It's a bit of a personal question, but did you ever… I mean…"

"Rick?"

"I mean, I don't need any more surprises…"

"Just what is it that you are trying to ask?"

Rick took a deep breath to gather up his courage before he voiced the question the words coming out in a rush. "Did you ever… um… sleepwithher?"

Horatio's eyes widened as he shook his head. "No, I haven't."

Rick sighed in relief. "That's good to know."

"I plan on getting the locks changed soon, but it will probably have to wait until we change back."

"Can't you just ask for the keys back?"

"Believe me, I have but she doesn't want to return them. You'd think that I was asking her to give custody of Ray J to me, if her reaction was anything to go by.

Rick winced at that.

"Which is why I think that changing the locks would be simpler."

"I can understand that." Rick said, nodding his head in agreement.

"And then…" Horatio let his voice drop to a whisper. "And then I'll give you a key."

Hardly daring to believe his ears, Rick turned to face Horatio. "What?"

"You heard me."

"Are… are you sure about this?"

"Positive."

"You're serious and not just pulling a joke on me right?"

"Yes, Rick, I'm serious. Why is it so difficult for you to grasp?"

Rick ducked his head and looked down at his shoes. "I'm not sure, but I like the idea.

Horatio chuckled, seeing Rick using one of his mannerisms. "It's going to be hard losing these mannerisms that we've each picked up once we change back. Though, as much as I'd like to stay here and talk it's probably better for us both if we hurry up and go."

"What do you suggest?"

"My suggestion is this. You give me the keys to the Hummer so that I can move it into the garage and close it up for the night. While I'm doing that you can lock up the house and start up the Focus so that it's ready when I'm done."

"The Hummer?"

"You drove it home, remember? Besides, you're technically on call with the current situation."

"Why me?"

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"Okay, point made." Rick walked over and gave Richie a scratch between his ears. "Richie, you get to deal with Yelina if she gets here before we do."

If he could have, Horatio would have sworn that the cat smirked at that. Richie hissed before he jumped off of the couch and stalked over to the living room window, causing Horatio to shake his head as he followed Rick out.

After Rick had locked up the house, they switched keys and Horatio climbed into the Hummer and moved it safely into his garage as Rick started his car. He already had the radio going when Horatio hopped in. "You didn't hit your head."

"No, I didn't and haven't since the first time. I'm a fast learner in case you haven't noticed."

"Speaking of which, can I see it again?"

"Why?"

"It looks like it was painful and I thought if I kissed it that it might help it get better."

"Just drive, Rick," Horatio replied, rolling his eyes.

"But…" Rick said, pouting.

"Maybe later."

"I'll hold you to that you know."

Horatio smirked. "I hope you will."

Rick grinned as he carefully reversed out of Horatio's driveway. "So, where are we going for dinner? You won so you get to pick remember."

"I haven't decided yet."

"Why does that worry me?"

"Maybe it's because you already lost a bet to me and you are about to lose another.

"In your dreams."

Horatio smirked. "I can hope and then when it happens, I'll have the picture to prove it."

"Confident, are we?"

"Yep."

"And ever so modest as well." Horatio chuckled softly to himself at that before he fell silent. "What?" Rick asked.

"It's nothing." Horatio sighed, knowing that he needed to change the subject before he slipped and said too much causing Rick to be even more creative in coming up with ideas to make him laugh in front of the team. "So, how long do you think it will take for the…" Horatio suppressed a shudder as he let his voice trail off and motioned his arm in the direction of Rick's hip.

"For the what?" Rick asked, not taking his eyes off of the road.

"For this." Horatio answered, gently placing his hand on Rick's hip. "Except on the left side."

"Oh." Rick said, with a grin at the contact managed to keep the car going in a straight line. "I'd say about an hour, maybe a little longer. I know mine took about three but it was much more detailed than the one you're getting." Horatio started to remove his hand. "You know, you don't have to do that unless you want too."

Horatio let his hand rest back on Rick's hip. "Thanks." He replied before sitting up a little straighter in his seat as he began to take note of his surroundings.

"Are you getting nervous?"

Horatio ducked his head. "Maybe."

"It's going to be fine. I will say this. I will be a little sore afterwards, but it's nothing that I haven't experienced before. And before you start, I don't mind doing this for you. If I did, I wouldn't have offered."

Horatio sat back in his seat, still resting his hand on Rick's hip. "Thanks." He whispered.

"It's not a problem."

Horatio cleared his throat. "Are we… Are we there yet?"

"Not this again."

"Excuse me, but it was you who was doing that the last time. Besides, the sooner we get the tattoo over the sooner we can go to dinner."

"Which will be where exactly?"

"I was thinking Italian. Maybe TiramesU?"

"I haven't been there before."

"Just a little heads up. They will recognize you."

"Let me guess, you're a regular there."

Horatio fought the urge to duck his head and hide the blush. Instead, he just nodded his head. "Yes."

"Are you absolutely positive that you want a wolf? I'm asking because we're only a few blocks away."

"I'm positive. They're beautiful animals and feared for all the wrong reasons."

"They are."

"They should be admired for the way they take care of their family…" Horatio let his voice drift off as he thought about how messed up his own was.

Rick briefly took his eyes off the road and glanced over at Horatio. When he saw that the other man was staring off into space, he took his right hand off of the steering wheel, keeping a hold of it with his left, and picked up Horatio's left hand and squeezing it. "I'm here for you."

Horatio returned Rick's squeeze with one of his own. "Thanks."

Rick pulled into a tiny shopping center and parked the car in a parking spot near the entrance. "I meant it, Horatio," he replied, killing the engine.

"I believe you," he looked over at Rick. "Are we already there?"

"Yeah, we are. Are you ready for this?" Rick asked as he got out of the car, before looking around to make sure that there was no one around that either of them knew.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Horatio admitted before he took a deep breath, slowly letting it out, as he unbuckled his seat belt. Rick quickly walked around to the passenger side and opened the car door for Horatio.

"Thanks."

"Let's go."

"Okay," Horatio agreed, with one last glance at the Ford Focus before he followed Rick inside. He looked around the place as they entered. It must have been slow or more people were getting tattoos in private rooms because he didn't see anyone else.


	31. Chapter 31

As Rick led the way over to the counter, Horatio found himself closing the distance between them. "Just remember to breathe," Rick whispered as they approached the counter and Rick rang the bell.

"I can do that."

"Good, because we wouldn't want you to pass out, now would we?"

Before Horatio had a chance to reply, they were greeted by a blonde man in his early thirties. Horatio couldn't help but notice the tattoo on his right arm. It was a dragon that ran the entire length of his arm from his fingertips up to his shoulder. He also had a small tattoo on his left arm of a lion in the middle of a pounce claws extended.

"Welcome to the Tattoo Emporium. My name is Paul. What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"I'd like to get a tattoo. Before you ask, I haven't gotten a tattoo before, but my cousin has and I was with him through the entire process."

"Okay," Paul said, giving Rick a nod of his head. "I'm sure you realize that tattoos are permanent so if you have any second thoughts…"

"I don't. I'm positive that I want to do this."

"Okay, I'll need your ID so that I can make a copy of it for our records. What about your friend, does he want a tattoo as well?"

"No," Horatio answered quickly, as he took a step backwards. "No, I'm good.

"He's just here to keep me company." Rick replied with a chuckle as he handed over Horatio's driver's license.

"Do you have any idea what design you want? If not I have some books that you can look through…"

"I actually know what I want." Rick said, reaching into Horatio's jacket pocket and pulling out the other man's phone. He flipped it open and brought up the image that Horatio had showed him earlier before handing the phone over to the tattoo artist.

"Okay, where do you want the tattoo?"

"I want it on my left hip."

"Okay, then we need to go into one of the back rooms. How are you going to pay? Cash, credit, or debit?"

"How much is it going to cost?"

"I usually charge seventy-five dollars for a small tattoo up to two hundred for a large one. I say this design and the location will be roughly a hundred dollars."

Rick nodded his head as he opened the wallet once more. "I have enough to pay cash," he said as he pulled five twenties out of his wallet and handed them over to the tattoo artist.

"Okay, I'll go make a copy of the license for our records and print out a receipt as well as get a consent form for you to sign. Do you mind if I take the phone with me so I can get a better version of this picture for the tattoo?"

"Go ahead. Do you need any help in finding the address bar?"

"I'm good. It's not the first time that I've had a customer show me a design from their phone.

"Alright."

Before he left, Paul spread out a paper sheet over the chair. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be back shortly." With that, he left the room and Rick got up into the chair.

"How are you holding up?"

"Honestly?"

"No secrets, remember?"

"Not great, but I don't feel like running out of here yet."

Rick placed his hand on Horatio's arm. "It's going to be fine."

Before Horatio could respond, there was a knock on the door and Paul entered. "Here's your receipt and the consent form. I'm working on making the transfer now." Rick took the form from Paul and signed it before giving it back to him.

"I'll be back in a few minutes once the transfer is finished."

Horatio waited until Paul had left. "That was smart of you, paying with cash so there is no paper trail. One thing, though. I noticed that you spelled out my name. Except for work, I only sign my initials."

"Don't you realize that makes it easier for -"

"Rick, stop it. You worry too much."

"And you don't worry enough."

"So, in the long run it will balance out…"

Rick smirked, but before he could reply, Paul knocked on the door once more. "You ready?" He asked, entering pushing a rolling table with his supplies.

"Just breathe, Rick," Rick said quietly to Horatio. "Yes, I'm ready. He just doesn't like needles."

"Does he want to wait outside?"

"No," Horatio said. "I can do this."

Paul looked over at Horatio. "Are you confronting a fear of needles?"

"We're trying."

Horatio just shook his head, looking everywhere but at the needles. "He thought it was a good idea, especially since he had been planning on getting a tattoo anyway. I didn't agree, but decided it wouldn't hurt to try."

Paul gave Horatio a reassuring smile. "You wouldn't be the first. Do you want a stool to sit on?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"No trouble at all, I'll be right back with one for you."

"See?" Rick whispered once Paul was gone.

True to his word, Paul returned a short time later with a stool for Horatio. Then, he gave Rick a disposable paper sheet. Rick waited until he had turned around before sliding down his slacks and boxers and then covered himself up with the thin sheet of paper while Paul took out the sterilized needle and fit it into the machine and filled a small cup with black ink.

Horatio reached out and took a hold of Rick's hand as Paul began to rub the area with alcohol. "Scars are usually tricky areas to tattoo but your pale skin might balance it out. If you happen to need more color when this is over with, come back in a few weeks and I'll touch it up free of charge."

"Thank you."

"I like my clients to be one hundred percent satisfied," Paul replied as he placed the transfer against Rick's hip. After a few minutes, he carefully pulled back the paper revealing the bluish outline of a leaping wolf.

"This is going to look great on your skin. I can't guarantee that it will hide the scar though."

"I understand."

"Do you like the placement and the size of the design?"

Rick smiled. "I like it. What about you Rick?"

Horatio returned the smile. "I like it. He's right. It's going to look great."

"Okay, Paul. You're good to go."

"Okay. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Rick assured him.

"Then I'm going to start outlining the design." Paul explained as he turned on the needle, causing Horatio to jump.

"It's going to be fine, Rick," Rick tried to assure him, before wincing when the needle first made contact.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"The first contact with the needle is always the worst."

"He's right. Honestly, it's not that bad now."

"If you say so," Horatio said, trying to focus on Rick's face and avoid looking at the needle.

"How are you making it?" Rick asked as he gave Horatio's hand a gentle squeeze that Paul noticed out of the corner of his eye.

"I feel like a wimp," he whispered.

"Rick, listen to me. You are not a wimp. Not at all. In fact, I think you're brave to be doing this."

"But, you're the one getting the tattoo, not me."

"Yet, you don't like needles but are in the same room dealing with the fear and not letting it win."

Horatio started to lean forward so that his head was almost touching Rick's when he realized that someone else was in the room and stopped. "Thanks," he whispered.

"The outline of the head is done now. You're doing good. That actually applies to both of you."

"Both of us?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah," Paul answered. "Normally the ones scared of needles are sweating bullets right about now or have already ran out the door…"

"Really?

"Well, I think so," Paul said, as he continued outlining the design. "Personally, I think it's a good idea. The best way to get rid of a phobia is repeated exposure to what it is that you fear."

Horatio chuckled nervously at that and Rick gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I don't know if I can get him to repeatedly expose himself to needles. I'm just hoping that nothing happens that requires him to need a shot."

"Horatio," Rick just smirked when Horatio hissed at him.

"Well, it's true."

Paul was enjoying listening to his customers while he worked. "I heard something a while back that might be of interest to the two of you regarding shots."

"Really?" Rick asked. "What is it?"

"Well, in Japan they're supposedly modeling a needle off mosquitoes. They're supposed to be small, quick, and painless."

"Thanks for letting me know. I'll have to look into that."

Horatio laughed. "Except for when they repeatedly attack you."

Rick glanced over at Horatio. "Let me guess, they love to eat you up as well…" Horatio didn't answer; instead he chose a spot at the far corner of the ceiling and stared at it.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Horatio sighed. "They think I'm delicious and evidently when any are around they end up having a buffet at my expense."

Rick smirked at that causing Horatio to look over at him. "What are you thinking?" Rick didn't answer, but his smirk got a little bigger as he shook his head. "Horatio?"

"Yes?" Rick answered.

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing, Rick. But, if you insist, I'll let you know when we're at dinner."

"Oh, I want to know if it has you smirking like that."

"I've got the outline done of you want to look." Paul replied, turning the needle off and placing it back on the table.

"I like it," Rick said, looking down.

"If you want to come around and look," Paul said, nodding at Horatio, "I've put the needle away as well."

Horatio blushed, but stood up and walked around. "Thank you." He smiled when he saw the finished outline. "It turned out better than I had pictured."

"Thanks. I just need to fill in the outline with black ink. I will say that it is showing up much better than I had expected with the scarring." Paul turned to look at Rick. "Do you mind if I take a picture of it when it's completed for my portfolio? If you don't want to I understand completely."

"I can't think of any reason why not…" Rick looked over at Horatio. "Can you, Rick?"

"It's just going to be the tattoo itself right?"

"That's correct."

Horatio glanced over at Rick who was still looking at him. He sighed. "Okay," he agreed but was asking himself silently why on earth he was agreeing to it.

Rick smiled at Horatio before looking back over at Paul. "Then, I guess we're fine with it."

Paul nodded his head at them before turning back to Horatio. "Would you like to take your seat again? I need to start filling in the design. I don't mind if you want to watch from here, it's just that you'll have a better view of the needle."

"Oh. Thanks," Horatio said, stepping back and walking around to sit back down on his stool.

"No problem."

Rick chuckled at Horatio's reaction. Horatio heard it and glanced over at Rick. "Don't you laugh at me."

"I wasn't laughing at you, Rick," Rick said, trying his best to look innocent.

"Then what were you doing?"

"I was just thinking about what I told you I'd tell you later."

"Now you have me curious."

"You're always curious so that's nothing new."

"That's why I'm good at what I do."

"What is it that you do?" Paul asked, before mentally kicking himself. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear. It's really none of my business…"

Horatio blushed as Rick looked over at him. "Should I?"

"If you want to Horatio," he answered with a shrug.

"Okay, I'm with CSI. Rick is with Internal Affairs but he's about to transfer over to CSI in the near future."

"C… S… I…? Sorry, I've never heard of it."

Horatio sighed. As much as it annoyed him, he was used to the question by now. "CSI is short for Crime Scene Investigators. They're a division of the police department who investigate crimes to see what really happened."

"Oh. So, they're like detectives then?"

"Sort of," Horatio admitted. "The difference is their information is based off of hard evidence unlike the detectives who mainly concentrate on eye-witness accounts. The CSIs work closely with detectives to get to the bottom of things. A phrase that I've heard sums it up nicely. 'People lie but the evidence doesn't'."

"I see. What is it that you do?"

Horatio shrugged. "Basically, I just police the police. I make sure that everything is in line and in order for the sake of the city."

"That sounds like it's a tough job."

"It is," Horatio and Rick both agreed.

"So, Rick, Horatio mentioned that you were thinking about transferring. Can I ask why? If it's none of my business just say so."

"Well… you see…"

Paul smiled. "It's okay. I understand."

"You do?" Horatio couldn't keep himself from asking.

"Well, it's official police business. Me, I'm a local tattoo artist who has probably worked on a few of your criminals. I completely understand why you wouldn't trust me enough to tell me everything."

Horatio relaxed somewhat at that. Rick smirked and shook his head. "Rick, there's no need to be so tense."

"I can't help it."

"It's almost over. When it is, we can go and have that dinner."

"I like the sound of that," Horatio admitted with a grin. "You can also tell me about that thing you were chuckling over."

"I will," Rick replied with a smirk. "Don't forget. You have something that you promised to tell me as well."

Horatio sobered up rather quickly when Rick mentioned that. "If you don't mind, I'd rather wait until after we get back to the house. I don't want to ruin our dinner."

_It must be serious_, Rick thought to himself. "Alright, I can wait."

"Thanks," Horatio said, giving Rick's hand a squeeze. "I appreciate it."

"So Rick, am I going to have to make a stop by the ATM when we get finished here?"

"I can pay if you -"

"No. I lost the bet so I'm going to pay."

Horatio smiled. "Okay."

Rick had been expecting Horatio to be a bit more stubborn so his reaction threw him for a loop. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, why are you asking?"

"You gave in much easier than you normally do."

"Let me get this straight. You're actually complaining about me NOT being stubborn for once.

"Well, yeah."

Horatio pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "I can't win can I?" The other man just smirked and shook his head at that. "You always have to complain about something don't you?" he asked Rick with a smile to let him know that he was kidding.

"It's what everyone expects of me."

"Then we're just going to have to change that aren't we?"

"Why?" Rick asked, pouting.

Horatio laughed. "That pout just doesn't work on you. I'm sure that we can find something that you won't complain about."

"Cookies. I don't complain about cookies."

"Is that the only thing?"

"Yes."

"Do you think I can change your mind about that?"

"No," Rick answered.

"I'll take that as a challenge." Horatio raised an eyebrow at Rick when he simply grinned. "Why do I get the feeling that's what you wanted?"

"I don't know," Rick said with a shrug before grinning again.

"Just you wait."

"With pleasure."

Horatio grinned, before ruffling Rick's hair since he knew that the other man couldn't move to get away.

Rick whined before poking Horatio for messing up his hair. "Fix it."

Horatio frowned at that. "I will if you stop whining."

"Come on Rick, fix it," he said, whining again.

Paul smirked at his clients, who were teasing each other, as he lowered his head to hide the fact that he was amused.

"If you stop whining I will." Rick opened his mouth, but before he could get anything out Horatio held up his hand. "Fine, you win." He reached over and smoothed out his hair. "Happy now?"

Rick smirked and gave a nod of his head. "Yes, I am. Thank you"

"You're welcome."

Paul raised his head. "Guys, we're almost done. I just have a little bit left to do."

"Thanks, Paul," Rick told him with a smile.

"You're in a good mood today, Horatio."

"So you're complaining because I'm not being a grouch."

"Me? Complaining? I wasn't complaining. Paul, did you hear someone complaining?" Horatio asked, looking around.

"I'm not getting in the middle of this," Paul replied with a smirk, not looking up from where he was filling in the design.

"Smart man," Rick said before laughing at the expression on Horatio's face and then groaning. "Okay, okay. You weren't complaining. Still, you know what I meant." Horatio stared at him for a few minutes before smirking. "What are you -"

Before Rick could finish his sentence Horatio reached over and ruffled his hair again.

"Hey now, what did you do that for?"

"Because I felt like it." Horatio said with a shrug before fixing Rick's hair.

"You like to do that don't you?"

"Yeah."

Rick sighed. "Then, when we're in private you can do it as much as you want. But you have to stop doing it in public."

Horatio's eyes darted over towards Paul and he blushed. "I didn't think it was so…"

Paul looked up. "Don't worry about it. You weren't that obvious. I just know what to look for." _Crap, why did I say that? Paul, you are an idiot. _Rick and Horatio exchanged a glance. "Don't worry I'm shutting up now."

Rick held up his hand. "No, wait. What…"

"Let's just say that I hope I can find what the two of you seem to have," Paul answered, before returning his attention back to the tattoo.

"I wish you the best," Horatio said as Rick fell silent.

"Thanks," Paul replied earnestly. "And the tattoo is finished."

Rick grinned as he turned his head to look at Horatio. "See, Rick? That wasn't so bad."

"Well, considering that I didn't look at the needle…"

"Don't be so modest," Paul said, interrupting him. "You could still hear the needle."

"That's just who he is. Even the smallest amount of praise causes him to duck his head and blush. See what I mean?" Rick added, tilting his head in Horatio's direction.

"I do."

Before Rick could look at the tattoo, there was a loud growl coming from Horatio's stomach. He grinned and turned his head to look at Horatio, who was blushing. "You're hungry."

"Let me just get my camera so I can take that picture. Then, I'll bandage the area and the two of you can go get something to eat," Paul said with a smile.

"Okay," Rick replied, as Horatio nodded his head in agreement.

"I'll be right back," Paul promised, as he picked up the needle and the ink before leaving the room. Horatio breathed a smile of relief once the needle was gone.

"Did you even eat lunch?"

Horatio lowered his head, glancing over at Rick out of the corner of his eye. "No, I was busy," he admitted.

"Horatio…" Rick began, but was interrupted by his own stomach growling causing Horatio to smirk.

"Did you?"

Rick sighed and ducked his head knowing that he was busted. "No, I didn't."

Horatio folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the wall. "Why not?"

Rick leaned his head back in the chair to stare up at the ceiling. The Darius situation had me running in about twenty different directions and when you add the Mac situation in the mix, I just didn't have the time.

"Welcome to my world."

"I don't see how you do this on a regular basis."

"Well… I do it for the victims, not all of them can speak for themselves."

"I meant physically. How are you able to do this without making yourself sick?"

Horatio blinked, still not accustomed to the other man admitting openly that he worried about him. "It's not the first time I've had to do this, so I guess you could say that I'm used to it."

"I guess," Rick agreed with a sigh. "The team pushes you pretty hard don't they?"

"They work just as hard as I do."

"As much as I don't get along with some of them, I can't argue with you on that one. It's just…"

Horatio leaned back across the wall and crossed his feet at the ankles. "You're used to the pace of a desk job aren't you?"

Rick ducked his head. "Yeah, I won't deny it. It's mostly paperwork…"

"Are you changing your mind on me?"

"No, I'm not. It's just that the two of us, well… We have to both stop skipping meals. It just isn't healthy." Rick just shook his head and chuckled.

"What?"

"I just realized that I sounded exactly like Rose by saying that." He glanced over at Horatio. "What?" He asked, noticing the other man's smirk.

"I was about to say that you sounded a lot like Alexx."

"Just don't say that in a Chinese restaurant…" Horatio didn't say anything but instead smiled innocently. "Don't give me that."

"What are you talking about?" Horatio asked, blinking.

"You try that and I'll just say that you sound like Rose."

"That's not a bad thing… I think."

"It's not," Rick agreed with a chuckle.

"But with past experience, neither of us is going to risk it."

"Exactly."

Horatio smirked. "Although it's not necessarily a bad thing if we make a habit of not only getting but actually eating lunch."

"Agreed," Rick replied with a smirk.

"What are you planning?"

"Nothing much. I was just thinking about that plan we had for a slow day to pick at the team…"

"What about it?"

"What if we started it earlier with only one person as a test subject?"

"Who… Who do you have in mind?"

"Yelina."

Rick smirked as Horatio's mouth slowly morphed into an evil little grin. "You don't want to wait until we change back either do you?"

"You're catching on."

Horatio chuckled. "You have a devious little mind, but it should wait until we change back that way we don't get too comfortable and slip up in front of the others."

Rick sighed. "As usual, you're right. I just wish I knew how much longer we had."

Horatio reached over and picked up Rick's hand but before he could say anything, Paul returned. "Sorry it took me a while. One of the new workers rearranged the supply cabinet and I had to hunt down the ointment."

"It's okay."

"If you haven't changed your mind, I'll take that picture now."

"We haven't."

"Okay," Paul said, pulling out a digital camera before snapping the picture. Once he saw it and was satisfied, he showed the picture to both Rick and Horatio.

Rick smiled. "I really like it."

"I do too." There was a brief pause as if Horatio was debating on something before he came to a decision. "If it's not too much trouble, would it be possible for you to shop the scar out of the picture?" Rick glanced over at Horatio and gave him a reassuring smile.

"I can do that. I take it that you want to hide any identifying characteristics."

"Yes," Rick agreed before Horatio could say anything. He just smiled and gave a nod of his head at Rick.

"I'm sorry if it's more work for you…" Horatio began.

"It's not a problem, I understand. I'll only take a couple of minutes. You know, I could make you a copy if you're interested…"

"Thanks, but that's not necessary."

"I agree."

"Okay, would you want to see the shopped picture or not?"

"Sure," Rick and Horatio both agreed at the same time.

Paul didn't answer, just smiled as he nodded his head to indicate that he had heard as he took his seat once more on the stool beside the chair. He carefully cleaned the area before covering it with ointment. Once he had finished, Paul bandaged the area up.

Rick looked down, as he pulled the paper sheet up. "Thanks. Is it okay if I, you know…?" He asked, causing Horatio to chuckle quietly.

"Yeah, it's fine."

Rick just rolled his eyes as he pulled his pants back up and wadded the paper sheet up and tossed it into the garbage can at the far side of the room.

"Nice shot," Horatio agreed, still chuckling.

"Stop laughing at me Rick."

"I can't help it if you're amusing."

"Amusing?"

"Yeah…"

Before the two of them could banter anymore, they were interrupted by Paul clearing his throat. "I hate to interrupt but I need to go over the aftercare instructions."

"Right," Rick agreed. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright," Paul said with a chuckle as he handled over the instructions. "This might be repetitive but everything I'm about to tell you is on those instructions.

"First of all, I want you to leave that bandage on for twenty-four hours. After that, you need to keep the area to clean and apply this ointment two to three times a day for the next three days. After that, just keep the area well moisturized."

"Is there anything else we should know? Also, how many times do we need to change the bandage?" Horatio asked, causing Rick to chuckle and mouth the word mother hen at Horatio.

Horatio gently cuffed the back of Rick's head. "Don't start."

"Normally, I would say you could and should leave it off."

"But…"

"But with the job that you have, I'd recommend you at least bandaging it when you have to go to work because the last thing that you need is to get it dirty and have it become infected. So, I'd recommend that you keep it covered when at work and then take the bandage off the moment you get home."

Rick nodded. "Thank you for the information," he told Paul before shooting Horatio a look. "Rick, why don't you make yourself useful for once and read these," he said, thrusting the instructions at Horatio causing him to chuckle.

"If you don't mind waiting just a few more minutes, I'll go and touch up this photo for you. When I get done and let the two of you see the finished picture. Afterwards, the two of you can go and get dinner?"

"It's no rush," Rick began, but he was betrayed by his stomach growling and it was soon joined by Horatio's.

Paul just smirked. "I'll get right on it," he promised as he hurried out of the room.

As soon as Paul had left, Rick and Horatio looked at each other and gave embarrassed smiles. "Don't even start…" they began and started chuckling.

"But we'll eat soon, right?"

"We'll eat soon," Rick promised. "Once you tell me how to get to the restaurant."

"How about I drive?"

"I can drive."

"Are you sure -?"

"Horatio quit your worrying." Rick replied with a smirk. "What is it with you and wanting to drive anyway?"

"I miss driving my Hummer."

"We aren't even in the Hummer Horatio. Besides, it's MY Hummer now."

"Only because of a technicality."

"But we're in my car."

"Actually, Horatio, it's _my_ car," Horatio replied with a smirk.

"Also, because of a technicality."

"So, I should drive since it technically belongs to me."

"For crying out loud, why is it so important for you to drive?"

"I happen to like driving."

"And that's all it is?"

Before Horatio could respond there was a soft knock at the door before it opened and Paul walked back in carrying in a photo.

"Here it is. What do you think?"

"You have the picture done already?" Horatio asked surprise evident in his voice.

"Yeah, I told you it would only take a couple of minutes. So, what do you think?"

"I like it." Rick and Horatio answered at the same time causing Paul to chuckle.

"Good. I'll go and add it to my portfolio. It was great meeting the two of you. I wish both of you the best and I doubt I'll be seeing you again," Paul replied with a tilt of his head.

"You won't," Horatio agreed, with a nod of his head causing Rick to chuckle.

"Don't laugh at me Horatio."

"Did I hurt your feelings?" Rick asked as Paul slipped out unnoticed.

When Horatio didn't answer Rick rolled his eyes and got out of the chair walking over to stand beside him. "You were saying?"

"Rick?"

"I know you weren't telling me everything?"

"Fine, if you really want to know why I like to drive, it's because that's the only time I know for certain where I'm going."

"Was that some sort of weird metaphor?"

"No, it wasn't. It's a long story that I will tell you eventually, just not tonight."

Rick placed his hand on Horatio's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I understand."

"Really?"

"You're already planning on telling me something that's going to be difficult for you. Do you think I'll pressure you into telling me something else that even I can see is going to be rough on the same night?"

Horatio just walked over to the door and opened it. "Are you going to stand there or do you want me to actually drive?"

Rick just shook his head. "Okay, okay, I'll stop. You're starting to enjoy being me aren't you?

Horatio smirked. "I can be as snarky as I want and no one questions it."


End file.
